Tales of Green Beer and Little Green Monsters
by Predec2
Summary: Brian has to play the reluctant host when his cousin comes to visit. What revelations will he discover, both about his cousin and about his relationship with Justin? Post Ep 308, AU. *STORY IS NOW COMPLETE!*
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is complete. I will be posting probably a chapter a day while I am working on updating my two WIPS. This was actually supposed to be a St. Patrick's Day story, but personal events in my life prevented me from finishing it on time. Nevertheless, I hope you still enjoy it. Thank you as always to my beta, Gloria, who always provides me with invaluable assistance.

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DISCLAIMER: QAF and its characters are the sole property of Showtime and Cowlip Productions. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Brian's head throbbed in perfect synchrony with the pounding on the loft door; groaning, he temporarily squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to escape from the obscenely bright sunshine pouring in from the windows out in the living room, but it did nothing to prevent the continual rap, rap, rapping on the metal of the door.

"Shit!" he finally snarled in defeat as he opened his eyes and turned his head to peer over at his small, Art Deco, chrome alarm clock, noticing it was 11:00. Groaning from the hangover he had managed to procure from way too much drinking at a new bar that had just opened last night, he turned to rise from the bed, slipping on his discarded pair of jeans lying nearby on the floor before trudging barefoot over to the door.

"Fuck," he uttered in dismay as he recognized the all-too-familiar, sing-song voice calling his name from the other side of the door; it was like an episode of _Groundhog Day_. Only this time he didn't have a hard-on he needed to hide. Why had he ever reconciled with this woman? Perhaps 'reconciled' was too strong a word. But in either case, he could blame Debbie for it. SHE had been the one who had revealed his cancer to her, and she had somehow managed to convince his self-righteous mother to 'give him another chance.' Like he needed one. But Debbie had still managed the impossible: he and his mother were speaking again, although theirs would certainly never be a very comfortable relationship. Somehow, though, they had arrived at a tolerable plateau: she wouldn't preach to him about his 'inequities and moral inturpitude' if he didn't mock her religion. Yep, the two of them were part of one, big happy family.

"Mom," he almost whined as he slid the door open a crack, his bedhead hair sticking up in every direction. "I thought we had agreed you would call first. Am I late for mass?" he couldn't help sarcastically replying as she pushed her way in none-too-gently, a platter of some sort clutched in her hands, covered with Reynolds wrap. _Yep...Groundhog Day..._

"You don't need to be so caustic, Brian," she chided him, her pruned lips pressed together disapprovingly. She glanced around, trying to be subtle but failing miserably.

"He's not here," Brian told her.

"I don't know what you mean," Joan responded stiffly as she walked over to the kitchen counter and placed the tray down. "I baked you some macadamia nut cookies and thought you might like them while they're still warm; that's all."

"Uh, huh." _You're about as subtle as a linebacker rushing the_ _quarterback_, he couldn't help thinking as he reminded her, "I remember the last time you brought me baked goods. What do you want, Mom?"

Joan sighed. "Well, you'll be happy to know that Claire is taking me to church later today, so you're off the hook." She had the decency to at least appear a little uncomfortable as she hastened to add, "It's nothing, really."

Brian sighed as he stood there facing her, brushing his left hand through his hair restlessly as he replied, "Just tell me what you want and get it over with. I have other things to do before the year is over."

"Brian, it's only March."

"Exactly. Will you just get on with it?" he prodded her wearily.

Joan sighed as she finally nodded. "You remember your cousin Brady?"

Brian winced. "You mean that scrawny runt of Aunt Bridget and Uncle Phillip's you forced me to play with whenever they came to visit from Ireland? The one with the buck teeth that looked like a cross between a beaver and a garden gnome?"

"Brian, that was at least fifteen years ago," she reminded him sternly. "I'm sure he looks a lot different now."

Brian snorted. "Yeah, sure," he told her as he walked over to grab the coffee carafe and place it under the faucet to fill it with water. "Now he probably looks more like a telephone pole instead with pot holes on his face instead of acne."

"Brian, you don't have to be so tactless," Joan told him.

"Mom, either tell me what you want, or take your bribery offering and leave; I have an appointment with the trainer in an hour."

"I need you to keep Brady company."

"Excuse me?" Brian impatiently waited for the coffeemaker to finish part of its cycle - just long enough for a mugful to emerge - before he quickly grabbed the carafe and poured the strong contents into his cup, taking the sugar bowl and throwing an ungodly amount of sugar into it before hurriedly stirring it with a spoon out of the utensil drawer. He made his mother wait with barely controlled patience as he took a large sip before he finally asked, "What do you mean - "keep Brady company?"

"Brady is coming here to the States for a visit this week, and I promised Bridget and Phillip that you would keep an eye on him while he's here, that's all."

Brian's mouth gaped open. "That's all? Are you shitting me, Mother?"

"Brian - language..."

Brian rolled his eyes. "I have a JOB in case you haven't noticed. I can't be babysitting that runt while I'm working."

Joan affixed an icy stare on him as she replied, "He's the same age as you, Brian, and no doubt more mature." Her son gave her a pained look as she remarked, "He doesn't need 'babysitting.' I just thought it would be nice if you would show him around town and make him feel comfortable." She glanced around the open, large space as she commented, "You have plenty of room here to entertain your 'other' guests. So it shouldn't be a problem to let him stay here with you this week. He's not made of money like you are."

Brian looked at her aghast. "No way! He is NOT staying here with me! There're plenty of fleabag motels in town; speaking of which, dear mother, what about YOUR house? Since dear old Dad died, you should have plenty of room."

"Don't be ridiculous, Brian," was the scathing reply. "It would be unseemly for a grown man to be staying with a widow." Brian promptly snorted at that reply as she added, "I'm sure you can control your libido long enough to help out your family." She wrinkled up her nose. "Your...paramour - can stay with someone else for the week."

Brian laughed. "My _paramour_? What a quaint way of putting it, mother. Why in the fuck would I ever agree to let my beanpole cousin stay here with me? What possible motive would I have?"

"You owe me, Brian," his mother told him curtly. "You owe me for all the times I had to put up with your father's drunken sprees. Have you forgotten how many times I had to shield you from his violent temper?"

"Well, your aim wasn't too good, then," he told her as he took another gulp of the dark brew. "Try again."

"He's already on his way," she told him curtly as she hugged her coat tightly against her body, signaling her intention of leaving. "If you won't agree to help out, well, then, I guess I'll just have to expect YOU to take me to mass every week instead of Claire. And I know how much you would love that. Now I'm not going to argue with you about this further, Brian. It's just for a week."

"You cannot force me to play host for him!" Brian reiterated as she turned to head toward the door. He hurriedly slammed down his navy blue china mug as he hurried after her, almost colliding with her smaller frame as she whirled around by the door to face him.

"Quit acting like a little, petulant boy, Brian; you can surely give your cousin a place to stay for the week and help make his visit more enjoyable. I trust that you won't embarrass me with Bridget and Phillip. If you do, I will never forgive you."

She struggled to pull the heavy, metal door open as Brian retorted, "We can't have that, now can we?" _Maybe that would be for the best_, he couldn't help thinking. But why did he suddenly feel like that unsure, fragile little boy again? The one that so desperately wanted to earn his parents' love so maybe they would actually act like 'normal' parents did and be proud of him?

Before he could contemplate that dichotomy, however, his mother had somehow managed to pull the door open, tell him that his cousin had his phone number and 'would be in touch,' and rush away before he could object any further.

* * *

_Later that Evening - Brian's Loft_

Brian absentmindedly fiddled with Justin's hair by the side of his face in the aftermath of their passionate lovemaking, his partner lying on his side facing him as Justin's left hand slowly stroked his toned, slick skin in a lazy circle. He would never tell Justin this out loud, but he loved it whenever he let his hair grow longer. Of course, he had always enjoyed playing with his lover's hair and admired its softness. He quickly pushed that lesbionic-sounding thought aside as he lay there, feeling the warm, smaller body resting partly against his.

After a few moments, Justin lifted his head slightly to gaze up at the faraway look on Brian's face. "Brian?"

"Hmm?"

"You seem kind of distracted tonight."

Brian peered over at him to reply, "I'm fine, Justin. Was my fucking not up to par tonight or something? You've never complained before."

Justin huffed. "No, it's not that," he said, unable to keep from blushing as he thought about how intense their marathon round of sex had been a little earlier that night. They had started out in the shower as usual, and had progressed here to bed afterward. Now they were sticky and sweaty, which usually meant another round of fucking in the shower. Still...Brian's body may have given as good as he always did - maybe even more so - but he knew his partner well enough by now to know that something was on his mind; or _someone_. He had to know, as painful as it was.

"Do I need to leave?" he whispered at last as he averted his eyes downward. It wouldn't be the first time. It was not one of his favorite rules of Brian's. But he had decided when the two of them had reconciled that he would abide by his lover's wishes no matter what. Still...it hurt to think that he was merely a penciled-in appointment on Brian's hectic, crowded fucking calendar.

Brian frowned. "Why would you need to leave?"

"I...I just thought that maybe you might have someone coming over," he whispered. To his dismay, he heard Brian snort.

"Funny you would say that..."

Justin nodded glumly as he began to disentangle himself from Brian's embrace, only to have one strong arm clamp onto his waist.

"Where are you going?"

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not be here this time when your 11:00 shows up, okay?"

"Justin..."

"It's all right," he replied, trying hard not to let him know how much it really gnawed at him. It was his cross to bear, his penance to pay, since his fuck up with Ethan. That didn't mean he had to like it, however. "I get it. Just let me take a shower first."

"Justin, will you fucking wait a minute?" Brian groused, a little surprised by how much it bothered him that Justin automatically assumed he was having a trick over later tonight. Not that he didn't imbibe in them from time to time. Unbeknownst to his 'whatever he is,' though, he was finding the desire to do that less and less lately since the two of them had reconciled. In fact, most of the time he didn't even know why he felt the need to flaunt that fact in Justin's face. He supposed it was either the thrill of the hunt, or his usurping of power in their relationship. But still, he found himself perturbed by Justin's assumption.

"What, Brian?" Justin responded wearily, noting it was almost 10:30 now.

"I don't have anyone coming over here tonight."

Justin's eyes widened. "No?"

Brian shook his head silently as Justin paused for a moment to let that sink in. He finally turned to sit, Indian style, on the bed next to the other man as he commented, "Well, _something's_ on your mind. What's going on?"

Brian, too, slid up to brace his upper body against the headboard as he informed him dryly, "I had an unexpected visitor today; someone bearing cookies."

"Oh, shit."

"Yeah, shit is right."

"What did she want?"

Brian rolled his eyes as he revealed his mother's request, although _demand_ was probably more accurate. He frowned then as Justin promptly laughed in reaction to his disdainful expression. "It's not funny, Justin! I am NOT babysitting that walking advertisement for a loser billboard."

"Oh, come on, Brian! It's just for one week. Think how thrilled the guy will be with the opportunity to bask in your shadow. He can reel in all your rejects."

Brian harrumphed. "_Reel in _is the right term, all right; he has this tall, skinny body and lips that look more like a puffer fish." He shuddered. "If he stands anywhere near me in public and calls me 'Cousin Brian,' my reputation will be scarred for life."

Justin grinned. "Agreed; a fate worse than death."

Brian glared at him. "Go ahead, Justin! Make light of it. But you haven't seen him."

"He can't be THAT bad; after all, you share some of the same genes."

His lover bestowed a pained look on him. "Trust me; he makes Mick Jagger look like a stud. He had to have been adopted when no one else would take him."

Justin laughed. "Poor man. _You_, I mean."

"Keep going," Brian groused. "I'm glad YOU'RE getting such a kick out of it!" He sighed. "This is going to be an extremely long week." He paused as a gleam appeared in his eyes, and he curled his lips under. "Uh...Justin. Sunshine?"

Justin instantly narrowed his eyes in suspicion; he knew that tone of voice and it made him wary; very, VERY wary. "Yeah?"

"We're supposed to meet up tomorrow evening at Woody's, but I have a very important meeting with Jepson Aircraft in the afternoon."

"And?"

"...And I'm not sure how long it will take to wrap it all up. So, I was wondering..."

Justin sighed, knowing where their conversation was heading. "So you want ME to entertain him until you can get there," he correctly surmised as Brian pasted on his most engaging look, the one that always got him what he wanted. "What time is he supposed to meet you?"

Brian grinned triumphantly. "Eight o'clock. It would just be until I could get done...and maybe knock down a couple of Beams at Kinnetik so I can stomach the guy first."

Justin snorted. "You realize you are going to owe like me like a thousand blow jobs for this, right?"

"For this, it will be a small price to pay, trust me. So you'll do it?"

Justin sighed; did he really have any choice? "Okay...But just until you get there. And then YOU take over."

Brian smiled in satisfaction. "Deal."

Justin nodded with a smile. "Good...But one more thing..."

His lover groaned. "What?" he asked in trepidation.

Justin grinned smugly. "I require an initial down payment as proof of your sincerity that you will pay the loan back."

Brian smirked. "I think that can be arranged."


	2. Cue the Complications

_Justin arrives at Woody's to meet up with Brian's cousin, only to encounter an unexpected suitor. _

* * *

_Next Evening - Woody's - 7:45 p.m._

"Sorry!"

Justin nodded acknowledgment of the guy's apology with a sigh, wincing slightly after the man inadvertently jostled him on his right; apparently a lot of the bar patrons had begun their worship of the establishment's green beer hours ago, at least judging from the amount of people presently in Woody's, as well as the raucous volume level. _Why had he agreed to do this again? _He pondered for the umpteenth time. Of course he already knew the answer to that. If it hadn't been for Brian, he would have never agreed to it; he personally detested being in such a cramped space, especially during one of the bar's special theme nights. Nursing the Beam in front of him in protest of St. Patrick's Day, he wondered, too, if he would even _see_ Brian's cousin in the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, even when he did get here.

He mentally rattled off a general description of the guy in his head as he glanced around the bustling space: early 30's, tall, skinny, 'beaver teeth' (at least in Brian's opinion), reddish-blond hair, and probably acned pockmarks rivaling Martian craters. And, of course, an Irish accent. So far, none of the revelers even remotely resembled the guy, he decided. He couldn't help harboring a burning curiosity about meeting another member of Brian's family circle, however, hoping that perhaps the guy could shed some more light on the enigma known as his partner/boyfriend/guy-who-fucks-him-more-than-once; whatever the hell Brian preferred he be called.

He shook his head sadly over that thought. Why was it so hard to adequately describe their relationship? Perhaps because it didn't fall into any convenient category. That made things difficult at times when he tried to describe their on-again, off-again relationship, but it also kept things dynamic and never dull. That was a good thing, he supposed...Wasn't it?

Downing the last of his drink, he rubbed his face wearily with his hand, just before he noticed another shot of Beam being placed in front of him. "I didn't order that," he protested as he lifted his head to peer up into the beefy-looking, buzz-cut bartender, a long-standing employee of the bar by the name of Geoff.

The guy cocked his head toward the other end of the fully-occupied bar with a knowing smirk; after all, he had seen this mating ritual over and over again, and with Justin's looks it was pretty much to be expected. He was silently grateful that Taylor's 'bulldog' wasn't around at the moment, however. He wasn't sure what Kinney's relationship to Justin was exactly, but he had seen them together enough over the years to know it was a lot more than just a casual fling, despite the guy's persistence on never doing the same guy twice. Apparently, when it came to _this _particular guy, however, he had made an exception, because he had noted a distinct 'he's mine, hands off' attitude when it came to this blond, especially since the two of them had gotten back together again recently. The mere fact that they had broken off their relationship - and were now back together - spoke volumes to him about Kinney's feelings for this younger man.

"It's from the guy at the end," he told Justin in explanation as he picked up a damp, white cloth and began to wipe down the bar, deftly gathering up some empty beer mugs and shot glasses along the way as he answered a call from the other end of the bar and preventing Justin from issuing any sort of reply.

"Great," Justin muttered. Just what he needed; an 'admirer.' Risking a glance down at the other end of the bar, he peered over at the guy in question, unable to keep from noticing how hot he was: dark, thick hair, strong chin with some stubble, long-fingered hands presently curled around a tall glass, casual but expensive-looking clothing - at least judging from the black, buttoned-down shirt he was wearing. He could see what appeared to be a tasteful, gold chain hanging around the guy's neck, peeking out from behind the guy's shirt collar, which was casually unbuttoned.

His eyes locked on the other guy, who smiled back at him and raised his glass in a sort of salute, as he nodded his thanks and quickly averted his gaze. The last thing he needed right now was yet another sort of 'entanglement,' not when he was there expressly to do a favor for Brian. Lately, too, since the Ethan debacle, he had tried hard not to even glance sideways at another guy for fear it would set Brian off or make him unduly suspicious of his motives. He thought fleetingly of how unfair that might be - seeing as how Brian felt free to fuck any guy that stood upright on two legs if he fancied him - but it was a momentary thought as he peered down at the glass in front of him pensively.

Glancing at the clock set high on the wall above the bar, he noticed it was now a few minutes past eight. Apparently being fashionably late was another one of the guy's traits, he decided, as he took one more quick look around Woody's to make sure Brian's cousin Brady hadn't crept in unobtrusively when he hadn't noticed. But once more - as far as he could ascertain, at least - no one matching the guy's description was present.

Sighing, he took a quick swig from the second shot glass before he turned around on the stool and began to slide off, only to come face to face with the guy who had gifted him with the drink.

The brunet smiled over at him from his place next to his stool. "Hey," he greeted him. "Name's Liam," he added, peering over at him expectantly as his eyes traveled briefly over Justin's body in an admiring manner before returning to alight back on his face.

Justin flushed over the other man's gesture, detecting an unusual brogue in the man's speech as he replied tentatively in kind, "Hey." He paused for a second as the man moved to join him at the stool besides him that had just been vacated by the jostler from before as he began, "Look...Thanks for the drink...But I'm here waiting for someone."

The brunet's smile widened, showing off perfect teeth that gleamed under the bar lights. "Aren't we all?" he replied congenially. "Well, let me keep you company at least until your friend arrives." He slid easily into the seat next to Justin, clutching his glass of booze and swinging his body around until his knee brushed against the side of Justin's thigh.

"He's not my friend exactly," Justin began to explain as he scooted incrementally in his seat to avoid the physical contact, wondering why he was even telling this stranger that.

The man's right brow rose curiously. "Blind date, then? Lucky guy," he added as he stared intently into Justin's eyes, making his face warm.

"No," he replied with any further explanation. He took another swig from his drink before placing it back down. "Thanks again for the drink," he added politely, having to raise his voice to be heard among the din surrounding them. "Uh...?"

"Liam. And you're welcome. Have another." He raised his hand initially in an attempt to get the bartender's attention, who was still at the other end of the bar, but Justin shook his head.

"No," he hastily responded as he scooted off his seat. "If you'll excuse me..." Before the other guy could answer him, he quickly turned and headed into the burgeoning crowd, having to walk sideways at times to thread himself between the fully-occupied tables while he studied everyone in the room for any sign of Brian's cousin, only to come up empty handed once again. "Wonderful," he muttered as he wondered what he should do.

"Justin!" He thought he heard his name being called then as he peered in the direction of the sound and smiled in relief, recognizing Emmett waving at him with a cue stick in his hand near one of the pool tables at the back of the bar. His friend was standing next to Ted and some other guy who didn't look familiar to him.

"Over here, Baby!" Emmett called as Justin hurried over as fast as he could, receiving an enthusiastic bear hug and a kiss on the cheek from his taller friend. "You're just in time!" Emmett gushed.

Justin smiled in amusement as he nodded over at Ted and the stranger standing next to him. "Just in time for what, Em?"

Emmett's eyes twinkled as he took a quick sip of his Pina colada, a small, green paper umbrella sticking out of it, no doubt in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

"To play a round with us," he informed him. "Two against two." Justin nodded as he turned to greet Ted, who smiled at him in greeting.

"Hey, Justin. This is Devon; he's from my opera appreciation class on Tuesday nights," Ted informed him. The man was a little more filled out than Ted, with dirty-blond hair and wire-rimmed glasses.

"Nice meeting you, Justin," the man replied as Justin nodded politely at him before turning his attention back to Emmett.

"I don't know, Em," he stammered in hesitation as he glanced around, still trying to figure out if Brian's cousin was there yet. He wished now that Brian had set up a meeting out front by the door, or somewhere else more specific, since in the teeming crowd it was going to be very difficult to spot him when and if he did show up. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone here."

"Hmmm...Does your insignificant other know that?" Ted quipped with a half-grin; Justin noticed the other guy smirking beside him in reaction. Apparently Brian's commitment phobia wasn't a very well-guarded secret.

Justin rolled his eyes as he clarified, "I'm meeting him on Brian's behalf. It's his cousin who's visiting from Ireland for a week, and Brian was going to be running late because of some account, so he asked me to pinch hit for him until he could get here."

Ted nodded knowingly. "Ah, yeah, I know that account well." He paused. "Cousin, eh? Don't tell me there're two of them."

Justin laughed. "Not hardly. From what Brian's told me, they look nothing alike, trust me."

"Well, Sweetie, you can watch for him from here, then - even better vantage point than at the bar," Emmett sensibly pointed out. Justin had to admit his friend was right; at least here by the pool tables there was a little more navigation room. And he _could_ see the front entrance a lot better without standing next to so many other people congregated around the small, circular tables and the bar. "Well...Maybe you're right," he conceded. Emmett's face lit up with triumph as he added, "But you guys will have to keep an eye out in case he shows up while I'm taking my turn, though."

"Deal!" Emmett immediately agreed, knowing that Justin was an excellent pool player. "What's he look like?"

Justin briefly ran down Brian's description of his geeky cousin, evoking some titters of laughter from the other three men as he detailed the poor man's lanky, dorky, buck-teethed description.

"Well, he shouldn't be too hard to spot with those kinds of looks, although it sounds suspiciously like at least half of the clients at Torso," Emmett remarked. "But you're right; that sounds _nothing_ like Brian," he added with a smile as the other two nodded in agreement.

"No," Justin concurred. "But as long as you'll watch out for him, I'll play."

Emmett enthusiastically nodded. "We promise. Now grab a stick, Baby, and let's get this blowout underway."

Justin grinned with a nod as he walked over and tried out a couple of cue sticks hanging on the wall before he settled on one with a dark, wooden hilt that felt right under his touch.

* * *

Soon afterward, he was involved in a rousing game of 8-ball with his friends and Ted's acquaintance, enjoying the look of dismay on Ted and Devon's face as he deftly sank the last shot of the game in victory and high-fived Emmett in jubilation, only to look up and recognize the man he had met earlier at the bar, standing a few feet away from him with a smile on his face. _What was his name again?_ He pondered as the others in his group eyed the good-looking man curiously. He had to admit - now that he could see the entire package, the man _was _quite attractive, from his dark-haired, thick curly hair, down to the expensive, polished black loafers on his feet. The pair of jeans he was wearing, also, fit him to a tee. Justin's face flushed as he lifted his gaze and realized the man knew that he had been checking him out.

"What do you want_ NOW_?" Justin asked quietly as the other three men peered over at the two of them with interest.

Liam grinned at him. "I just came over to watch you play with your stick and your balls," he responded with a smirk as his smile widened, his voice an intriguing sort of Irish lilt. "And you're doing it quite well, by the way," he commented as Emmett cleared his throat to get Justin's attention.

"Who's your tall, dark, and swoony friend, Baby?" Emmett asked him as he openly admired the other man. Liam smiled over at him in amusement before turning to fix Justin with an expectant stare.

"He's not my _friend_," Justin explained hastily. "He...he bought me a drink a little while ago at the bar, that's all."

"You wound me," Liam replied with a mock look of horror on his face as one hand clutched his chest melodramatically. "I thought we meant a lot more to each other than that." He grinned at Justin impishly, making Justin roll his eyes in reaction. He had to give the guy credit; he WAS pesky and persistent, but in a charming sort of way, he supposed.

"I told you I was meeting someone here," he reminded him. He sighed as he turned to Emmett. "Em, this is Liam. Liam, these are my friends, Emmett and Ted...and Ted's friend, Devon." The three men nodded over at Liam politely.

"Well, Woody's is definitely including some nice perks tonight," Emmett commented with a smile as he once again studied the other man's rugged good looks. "Do you play?" he asked coyly as he chewed on his straw, double entendre intended.

Liam chuckled. "Depends on the stakes...and who I'm playing _with_," he answered as he turned to peer meaningfully over at Justin. "By the way, you could sink your balls a lot better if you grip your stick a little tighter. I'd be glad to demonstrate for you."

Justin heard the other men snickering as his face turned red. "I think I can hold my stick just fine," he told him defensively. "Em and I just won, in case you missed it."

"Oh, I saw it," Liam reassured him. "You're pretty good," he admitted, before he smiled at him, flashing his white teeth at him. "But I'm better."

"Oh, really?" Justin responded dryly, swearing he could hear Emmett or Ted tittering nearby. The other man nodded with a grin as Justin huffed. "Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?"

The taller man's eyes twinkled as he nodded. "I prefer to call it being confident in my abilities."

Justin nodded. "Well, I'll have to just take your word for it. Like I told you before, I'm waiting for someone." The question was, though: just where WAS Brian's wayward cousin? Maybe Brian would get lucky, and 'buck-teeth' Brady wouldn't show up at all. Until Brian arrived, however, he would have to continue to keep an eye out for him; he HAD promised.

He heard Liam clucking then as he replied, "I wouldn't have pegged you for the insecure type; not someone who looks like _you._"

Justin's face heated in indignation as he responded, "Excuse me?"

"The scared type. Afraid of your abilities."

"I am _not_," Justin maintained stiffly. "I just don't feel compelled to prove anything to you - or anyone else."

Liam grinned again, seemingly enjoying their parrying. "Come on, Justin," he wheedled. "One little game. And a friendly wager. You can have your friends watch out for your guest while we play."

"Yeah, Baby, we'll keep an eye out for him," Emmett volunteered helpfully as he gulped down the rest of his drink. "I need a refill, anyway."

"See? Problem solved." You're not afraid I'll _win_, are you?" Liam challenged him.

Justin snorted. "Hardly."

"Then...?"

"All right," Justin decided. "I'll TAKE your bet."

"Glorious! So what do you want on the highly unlikely chance that you actually _beat_ me?" The brunet teased as he handed his drink to Emmett and walked the few feet over to Justin to stand next to him, leaning down on the pool table so they were face to face and making Justin a little uncomfortable. Standing so close to him merely highlighted how attractive the other man was; his wavy, thick hair shone under the pool table lamp directly above, and his eyes were a brilliant hue of deep blue; so intense Justin had to avert his eyes to think.

"If I win...no, change that," Justin quickly changed course, peering back over at him and having to speak up so he could be heard over the din of the bustling, beer-guzzling crowd. "..._When_ I win," he corrected himself as the other man chuckled good-naturedly. "...When I win, you will agree to walk back over to the bar where you came from, and leave me alone."

Emmett's eyes widened. The man was gorgeous; was Justin crazy? Well, on second thought, he quickly surmised, perhaps when someone like Brian Kinney was involved, that was the wisest decision. And just maybe if Justin _did_ win, he might get to 'comfort' the loser. He smiled at that prospect as he continued to admire the dark-haired stranger who was presently grinning back at his friend. Yes, he could think of a lot worse things than being given the job of consoling this hottie. And he always _did _have a thing for accents...

"Okay, I'll take that condition," he heard Liam reply with a smirk. "...Because there's no way I'm going to lose."

Justin harrumphed. "Fine. Well, I guess we'll see about that." He paused then, easily able to smell the other man's expensive cologne that made his senses go on full alert. It reminded him in a lot of ways of the type that Brian might wear, and for some reason that fact unnerved him; that, and the man's piercing, blue eyes staring into his at the moment. He took a deep breath to compose himself. "So...Not that it's ever going to happen, but if _you_ should win?"

Liam beamed at him. "If I win, that's easy. You agree to go out with me; we'll start with dinner, since we both have to eat," he decided with a grin. "I'm sure there's a decent Irish pub or restaurant around here somewhere." He jumped slightly then as a glass slipped from someone's hand nearby and went crashing onto the floor, shattering into several pieces. "At least I hope so," he informed Justin dryly. Eyes twinkling, he added, "At any rate, I'm sure we can find somewhere quieter than THIS place to establish international relationsbetween our two great countries, don't you think?"

Justin grinned. "Well, we won't have to worry about that," he reminded him. "Because I won't lose."

Liam chuckled as he walked over and reached up to grab a stick from the rack on the wall. "I like your confidence," he told Justin. "Even if it IS misguided." He held a couple of the wooden cue sticks in his hand before settling on the second one. "This seems about right," he told Justin as he turned around and jiggled the wooden rod in his hand, curling his fingers around it as he slowly slid them up and down the polished material. Justin thought there was something inexplicably sensual, if not downright lewd, in the way his long fingers were slowly caressing the cue stick, and he had to avert his eyes to keep the other man from somehow discovering what he was thinking.

"So...Ready to play?" Liam asked, his voice low and deep as he walked over to stand next to his opponent.

Justin thought he saw Emmett waggle his eyebrows and grin back at him before he took a deep breath and lifted his gaze to peer over at the brunet. Nodding, he smirked. "Bring it on, Irish boy," he taunted him defiantly, his words belying his inner anxiety. He held his hand out. "Visitors first."

"Irish _stud_ is more like it," Emmett murmured in Ted's ear. "He is one major hottie. If Justin doesn't want to play with his stick, I'll be more than glad to oblige him."

Ted and Devon chuckled in agreement and grinned. "Well, I need a refill," Ted announced as he smiled over at his dark-haired companion. "Care to join me?"

Devon smiled and nodded.

"We'll be right back," Ted announced to the other men as he grasped his friend's arm and they turned to head toward the bar.

"Bring me another Pina Colada, Teddy!" Emmett called after him as he glanced over at the game just now commencing, noticing the extreme concentration on both men's faces. He watched as Liam expertly broke up the racked balls and pocketed a solid-colored one in the far left pocket. "Let the games begin," he declared dryly.


	3. The Ball Is In Whose Court?

_Justin and Liam commence with their 'game.' Brian finally appears at Woody's to search for his cousin. Who will be the most surprised when he finds him?_

* * *

A few minutes later, both men had managed to shoot themselves into a dead tie. Justin wiped some perspiration from his forehead and leaned over the pool table to line up his next shot - a purple-and-white striped ball in the far right corner pocket - only to stop short when he heard a distinctive 'tsk, tsk, tsk' sound coming from behind him. Huffing in exasperation, he straightened up and twisted his upper body around to stare over at his adversary, who was leaning casually against the nearby wall, his arms crossed over his chest with an arrogant smirk on his handsome face. _Where had he seen that look before_? He mused dryly. Of course, there was no need to answer that, however.

"What?" he asked, a little peeved.

"You're holding your stick all wrong," Liam told him. "I'd be glad to help you get it into proper position."

Justin replied dryly, "I know how to hold my stick just fine, thank you."

The other man had the annoying nerve to laugh at him then as he strolled over to lean against the pool table and face his opponent, just as Justin stood up straight to turn around and glare at him. The result was that they almost bumped heads as Liam reached out to steady him, grasping his upper arm to hold him securely. His touch was like fire to Justin as he gasped slightly at the contact before recovering his composure. "Do you mind?" he growled as he broke free from the other man's hold. "You're affecting my concentration."

Liam chuckled in delight over his confession. "Oh, I'm a distraction, am I?" He bestowed that aggravating smirk on Justin again as his eyes swept over the curve of his ass before coming to rest on the annoyed, blue eyes. Smiling, he responded truthfully, "Well, that works both ways, mate. Now are you going to take your shot...Or do I win by default?"

* * *

From his place at a small, round table nearby, Emmett and Ted peered over at the two men in amusement, Devon having left earlier to head back to his apartment. Emmett covered his mouth to hide his smile as they overheard the two bantering back and forth with each other and trading barbs. "Oh, my God," he deadpanned as they leaned back against the table, their newest drinks clutched in their hands. "It's like the Brian and Justin show redux." He eyed the stranger appreciatively as he chewed on his drink straw. "I'd LOVE for that man to show me the proper way to position MY dick...uh...stick."

Ted grinned as he clamped a friendly hand on the taller man's shoulder. "How very magnanimous of you," he told him. "I bet you'd make a very accommodating ambassador to our fair city," he said with a laugh. The smile on his face faded, however, as he glanced over at the front door and noticed the newest patron sauntering in. "Oh, boy. Look who just showed up - and at the worst possible time. The big, bad wolf."

Emmett followed Ted's line of sight and spied the person he was referring to. "Well, well, well...This is going to get very interesting. What do you think he'll do?" he asked his friend.

Ted shrugged as they observed Brian looking around the bar, apparently scanning the crowd for his _whatever-he-called him. _He shrugged. "Oh, probably what he always does when someone hits on Justin: act like he doesn't give a fuck and then find a not-so-subtle way to make sure everyone knows that he's off limits." Both men had been present recently to witness the two men's heated reunion at Babylon, and it was obvious that both men were quite happy to be back together again. Just how 'together' were they, however, in Brian's eyes? Both of them knew that Brian's idea of a 'relationship' was much different than theirs.

* * *

Brian glanced around the crowded, St. Patrick's Day bar and peered in disdain at the sight of so many losers drinking green beer out of clear, plastic cups. He hated that shit, and wondered just what sort of chemicals went into turning a normally tolerable beer into such a sickly shade of green. It was even more packed than he had anticipated tonight, he discovered, as he used his taller stature to peer around the bustling room in an attempt to find Justin. As he did, several men either greeted him by name, or brushed by him 'accidentally' as he unsuccessfully looked for him and his cousin, but he chose to ignore them.

"Where the hell ARE you, Taylor?" he muttered. He was confident that Justin was here somewhere; he _had_ promised, and since they had gotten back together, he surmised his former, straying lover would do everything he could to make sure they _stayed_ together. He briefly regretted the other day when he had practically pushed Justin out the door so he could 'entertain' his 11:00, however; that WAS a pretty shitty thing for even HIM to do. But there was a purpose and a much-needed lesson for Justin contained in his actions, and to Justin's credit his lover had understood clearly what that lesson had been: that after what had happened with the fiddler, Justin would have to prove that he was willing to take him in whatever manner he desired. For like he had told him numerous times before, they were fags, not two love-struck heteros, and he was entitled to 'scratch his itch' wherever and whenever he wanted. Besides, hadn't he told the trick that Justin was the guy 'he fucked more than once?' That should have told Justin _something_.

He continued to glance around the room expectantly for him, but no one matching his description appeared. "Come on, Justin!" he growled in frustration, hating the mass of bodies pressing in on him. Finally, a flash of bright blond hair caught his eye over by the pool tables, and as the owner of that hair turned slightly toward him, his eyes widened in disbelief and a prominent vein on the side of his neck bulged out in anger. _What the fuck?_

* * *

"Uh, oh," Ted murmured as they watched Brian turning his head in their direction; he acknowledged them with a cursory nod before his gaze drifted over to the two men sparring at the pool table nearby, and his demeanor immediately changed. "Bulls-eye."

Emmett nodded. "I wonder if the 4th of July's about to come early," he murmured, noticing Justin was totally oblivious to the fact that a certain, territorial brunet had just showed up.

Even from their distance, both men could make out the unhappy look on Brian's face as he spied Justin, currently bent over one of the pool tables as Liam stood a few feet away behind him, a goofy-looking grin on his face as he seemingly ogled a certain part of Justin's anatomy. Emmett and Ted noticed the jealous look on Brian's face quickly transforming into a more customary, '_I-don't-give-a-fuck'_ look as he began to thread his way through the capacity crowd toward them.

"Should we tell him?" Emmett fretted as he spoke into Ted's ear in order to be heard.

Ted smirked. "Nah...What would be the fun in that? Besides, Brian Kinney doesn't do jealous, right?"

Emmett half-smiled; both of them knew better than that. Even if they didn't, one look at the expression on Brian's face a few moments ago, and it would have been patently obvious to anyone. "No, of course not," he murmured knowingly as the two exchanged a look between them.

* * *

_Same Time..._

Justin felt rather than saw the look being bestowed upon him as he turned his head from his place at the pool table. Sure enough, his competitor was staring at him with that haughty-looking smile on his face again. "What now?" he barked in aggravation.

Liam smiled, having enjoyed the 'rear' view he had just been admiring. This man was simply fucking adorable, as well as hot, and had the most amazing ass he had ever seen. He thought fleetingly of what it might feel like to have his dick firmly embedded in such a wondrous piece of flesh before he cleared his throat to bring his thoughts back to the game at hand. There would be more than enough time later to engage in 'another' sort of game, he decided...once he won their competition. "Nothing," he replied with a grin. "I'm about to win, that's all. And it makes me very happy just thinking about it."

"You're awfully damn sure of yourself, aren't you?" Justin huffed out. "We're tied, remember?"

"Not for long," the other man told him confidently. "Not if you plan on shooting _that_ way."

"Oh, for God's sake!" Justin growled as he stood up and scowled at the other man. "You're not Minnesota Fats, so just cut the crap, okay? I don't know how they 'shoot,' as you put it, in Ireland, but..."

Liam grinned broadly. "Well, I'd _love_ to show you how we shoot over there...If you'll just let me. I'll wager it's not much different than how you shoot over here, though; we just do it with more flair."

Despite his irritation, Justin had to snort over that comment. "That has to be one of the cheesiest come-on lines I've ever heard; and trust me, I've heard a lot by now."

"I'm sure you have," the other man told him softly as his eyes once more roved over the beautiful form, making Justin blush again. He frowned, though, as Justin's words sunk in. "Cheesiest? I'm not sure what that means exactly...but I think I can probably guess." He paused for a moment. "Well, how about this one, then? I'd love to dive into your pool and have a ball..."

Justin laughed. "No, that's even worse. Just give it up, okay? But don't give up your day job...whatever it is." He studied the other man thoughtfully as Liam walked closer. "Just what IS your day job, anyway?" he asked curiously. "Full-time bullshitter?"

"If I could get paid to do that, that would be perfect," Liam agreed with a congenial nod of his head.

Justin couldn't help chuckling as he replied, "Well, for once we actually _agree_ on something."

Liam smiled. "Well, don't let it go to your head," he wisecracked as he smirked at him.

"You mean don't get cocky," Justin volunteered with a grin.

"Exactly. Sure you don't want me to show you how it's done?"

"No, thanks," Justin responded confidently as he leaned over the pool table, his cue stuck clutched firmly in his fingers. "Now watch how the pros do it." Eyeing the ball, he stated, "12-ball in the right corner pocket," before he slid the stick back and prepared to hit the cue ball. Just as he let loose with the stick, however, one of the drunker bar patrons decided to accentuate a closing round of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" by letting forth with a blast from a portable air horn, startling him and causing Justin's aim to go astray. He watched in dismay as the ball went far left of its target, and promptly landed in the other far pocket. "Shit!" he cried out in disgust as he heard his opponent laughing.

"Oh, no misunderstanding about THAT," Liam told him. "That's a foul in any language. My turn," he reminded Justin as he walked up to stand beside him. "Sorry about your luck," he murmured none too sympathetically.

"But...that wasn't MY fault!" Justin protested. "How would I know some asshole would come here in with a damn air horn? Come on..."

"Sorry," Liam told him with a grin. "I don't make the rules. Everyone knows that anytime the cue ball winds up in a pocket, it's a foul and you give up your turn. I suppose you can always hope I have a rare moment of inaccuracy and don't manage to make my next shot...but I wouldn't hold my breath. If you'll scoot over just a bit...?"

Justin's mouth hung open in protest. "But..." he tried again.

Liam grinned. "Now I know you wouldn't want to go against the rules. If that had happened to ME, would YOU have let me take that shot over again?"

Justin scowled at him. "No, I wouldn't have," he told him truthfully as he shook his head in resignation. "Okay, okay...be my guest," he finally decided as he moved a few feet to get out the way. Somehow he knew what was going to happen before he actually saw it; he watched, holding his breath, as the other man leaned over the pool table and lined up his next shot - the last solid ball on the table before the eight ball needed to win. Silently tempted to 'accidentally' jostle the man just as he was about to shoot, he nonetheless remained still as he watched Liam declare where the ball was going to go, just before it landed precisely where it needed to be, squarely in the far right pocket. Justin rolled his eyes as Liam grinned at him before targeting the winning eight ball.

"Eight ball in right side pocket," he stated before the sharp crack of the cue ball sounded against the last ball on the table, pushing it neatly into the desired hole. Liam smiled broadly as he turned around to face the loser. "Well, I don't know when I've enjoyed being on the winning end of a game more," he declared. "But you were a very worthy opponent," he added sympathetically.

"Thanks; that makes me feel a whole lot better," Justin said curtly as he walked over and hung up his cue stick, watching as Liam did the same.

Liam laughed softly. "Glad I could be of help. Now about that dinner..."

"Uh...Justin...?"

Justin turned his head at the sound of Emmett's voice - just in time to see Brian walking up to the group. "Shit," he murmured. Could this situation get any worse? "Hey, Brian," he managed to croak out to his lover with a nervous smile. To the casual observer, Brian appeared nonchalant. To Justin, however, the brief, almost malevolent look that flitted across his handsome face spoke volumes, and it was quite obvious that he was not happy at the moment.

"Justin," Brian replied evenly as he peered over at the taller, dark-haired stranger staring back at him. He frowned, thinking inexplicably that he had met this man before. Probably in a backroom or a bathhouse somewhere, he decided. That was where the majority of his 'acquaintances' came from. Before he could say anything further, however, the mystery of where he had met this man was quickly solved as he watched the man's eyes widen in surprise and a big smile of recognition break out on his face.

"Janey Mac! Brian! How ARE you, mate?"

Justin frowned; how did this man know Brian? He could only guess under what context _that _would be. After all, where did MOST men become 'acquainted' with him? He groaned inwardly. _Great; I just agreed to have dinner with one of Brian's tricks. If it wasn't so distasteful to think about, it would almost be laughable, _he decided.

Brian leaned in closer to take a better look at the other man. So he DID know him. But from where? He scoured his memory to try and recall which bathhouse, bar, or club he had encountered him in, but nothing came to mind. Was he one of his clients, then? A waiter somewhere? Hell, he had even picked up men at the grocery store! He had to know him from somewhere, but he wasn't about to admit he couldn't figure out exactly where. Soon, however, that issue was put to rest - just as quickly as the other man spoke again.

Liam looked at him incredulously. "Don't you know who I am? You look just the same! Only...older."

Justin covered his mouth with his hand in amusement. He still didn't know their tie to each other, but just the scowl on Brian's face at the word 'old' was priceless. His bet with this man was instantly forgotten now; replaced with an innate curiosity over their connection. If this man knew him when he was younger, then he didn't sound like he was some trick.

"It's ME, mate!" Liam declared. When he continued to get a confused look, he realized the reason why. He smiled, pleased that Brian didn't recognize him. "Don't you know your own cousin?"

Brian's mouth fell open in astonishment as he realized then why the guy looked at least vaguely familiar. This wasn't the gawky boy he had hung out with at all; however, there was just enough in the voice and in the features to identify him as his cousin. "Brady?" he finally managed to utter.

Justin's eyes threatened to bug out of his head. THIS was Brian's cousin? The snaggle-toothed, gangly, pockmarked boy that Brian had been heckling behind his back? The one who Brian said would break every mirror in his loft? The one whose hair was the color of ripe carrots? Surely there had to be TWO cousins! _Wait a minute..._

Justin finally found his own voice as he asked, "I thought you said your name was Liam."

"It is," Liam replied. "My _middle_ name. Who the hell would want to be called Brady? I haven't been called that in years."

Brian frowned, finding himself for once at a loss for words. "But...but you...you don't look anything like you used to."

"Thank GOD!" his cousin boomed out. "Braces, hair dye...and a lot of acne medicine do wonders," Liam informed him. "Oh...and weight training - and the miracles of late-blooming puberty," he added as he gave Justin a wink, missing the dark look that Brian briefly flashed him. He turned back to Brian as he asked curiously, "So you two know each other?" His eyes shortly widened in epiphany as he laughed. "Shit! _I _was the man you were waiting for while we were playing pool?" he asked Justin, who nodded. "How ironic is _that_?"

"Yeah," Brian replied dryly, not at all happy that his awkward, 'ugly duckling' cousin had somehow been transformed into the complete opposite. "Hysterical."

"So...you and my cousin are friends, then. Or...something _more_?" he asked, splitting his glance between the two men as Emmett and Ted watched silently nearby, wondering, just like Justin, how Brian would answer that particular question. That was something they always wanted to know as well. Just what WERE they?

"Uh..." Brian felt several pairs of eyes boring into his; not only Brady's...uh, _Liam's_; and Emmett's and Ted's, and, of course, Justin's. But also all the other bar patrons hanging around nearby. He cleared his throat as he stood up a little straighter, his height mere millimeters above his cousin's. "No," he told him firmly as he looked Justin straight in the eye and shrugged casually. "Just friends." He smirked then for added effect, an action that he would learn to regret later as he added almost as an afterthought, "Friends with benefits, that is."

He saw Justin's face fall in disappointment for just a brief moment before, to his credit, he noticed his lover's dismay replaced with a veil of indifference; for some reason that he refused to analyze, that bothered him...a lot.

Liam turned to Justin, a silent question on his lips - a request for confirmation.

Justin nodded. "Yeah...that's right," he answered quietly, his response barely heard above the revelry around them. "Just...friends."

Liam smiled with delight in response as he told Justin, "Marvelous! Then I can just drop my bag off at Brian's, and we can be off, then."

Brian frowned; he had expected his cousin to stay with him, but what was that other part about? "What do you mean, _be off_?"

"Justin and I had a friendly game of pool, and I was the victor. To the victor go the spoils, as they say," he replied with a smile.

"Really?" Brian replied, feigning indifference as he idly played with the chalk cube lying on top of the pool table. "And just what would that be?"

"I get to have the pleasure of your friend's company at dinner," Liam explained as Brian's blood began to boil. Liam thought he noticed a nervous sort of tic pulse in Brian's neck as he added hastily, "You're welcome to join us, cousin. After all, we have a lot of catching up to do, don't we?" Secretly, however, he wanted Justin to himself, but civility couldn't prevent him from extending the invitation nonetheless.

"No thanks," Brian replied to his relief. "I have other plans," he told him as he stared meaningfully over at Justin. "But you boys trot along and have fun," he wisecracked. "I'll go find my _own_ entertainment for the evening."

"Well, if you're sure..." Liam responded politely. Inside, however, he was doing somersaults of glee. After all, his cousin wasn't exactly a dog in the looks department.

"Positive," Brian told his cousin as he continued to stare over at his lover. Justin, however turned his head and refused to acknowledge his smug expression.

Liam nodded with a smile. "Great! Then let me get my bag from the bartender, and we can get going, then. You have your car with you?"

Brian sighed inwardly; he supposed there was no way he could get around their living arrangement for the week. But the whole thing was damned odd. "Yeah. Get your bag; I'll meet you out front." He turned to the man they seemed to unexpectedly have in common. "Justin, a word with you?"

Emmett gifted his friend with a sympathetic look as Justin nodded. "I'll be outside with Brian," he told Liam, who nodded. "I'll see you later," he told his friends as he turned to go, not exactly looking forward to whatever Brian wanted to discuss.

"Take care, Baby," Emmett called after him as Justin gave him a small, backward wave in reaction. "Good Luck!" Justin bit his lip, thinking he was probably going to need it.


	4. Do As I Say, Not As I Do

_Brian and Justin discuss proper "friends with benefits" etiquette with less-than-desired results. Justin and Liam go out to dinner...but will it turn out as Liam hopes? _

* * *

It took the two of them a few minutes to weave their way back outside, but not nearly as long for Brian to turn and confront him. "Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked as he crossed his arms across his chest and stood under the outside awning, his stance rigid and stiff as he leaned against the wrought-iron railing.

"What are you talking about? I was doing what you asked me to do."

"What? Share the wealth among families?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're just doing this because of that trick I brought home, aren't you?"

Justin's eyes flashed with anger. "It had nothing to DO with that! I didn't even know he was your cousin when we made that bet. And it's just a dinner."

"Whether you knew who he was or not doesn't matter. You could have bought the winner a beer - not agreed to let him fuck you." He snickered. "At least he's improved his looks; it does make the prospect much more palatable, doesn't it? When I asked you to keep Brady company until I got here, I didn't realize how accommodating you were going to be, Sunshine."

"Shut up, Brian!" Justin yelled then, totally fed up with his lover's double standard. "Remember - I know exactly what to expect from you! You've made it perfectly clear that you're fully intending on continuing to fuck whoever you want, whenever you want! Well, guess what? It works both ways! So can I!"

Brian sneered. "Well, you've obviously learned from the best. Be my guest."

Justin smiled sweetly at him. "Thanks for giving me permission," he huffed as Liam appeared by their side, duffel bag now firmly hung over one, broad shoulder.

"Everything okay?" he asked curiously, seeing an odd look crossing Brian's face; he could tell there was something going on between this beautiful man and his cousin, but he couldn't quite figure it out.

"Just peachy," Brian replied sarcastically. "Let's go," he told his cousin.

Justin hung back then, uncertain as to what to do. That is, until Brian's cousin turned around to ask, "You're coming too, right? Or did you bring your own car?"

Justin glared at his lover as he heard Brian snicker over that question; a car was an extravagance Justin could never afford in his current situation, and Brian, of course, was well aware of that. "No," he told Liam quietly. "I took the bus here."

Liam nodded, frowning slightly as he tried to decipher the unspoken conversation being waged between Justin and Brian. "Well, I'm sure Brian wouldn't mind giving us both a lift. There's got to be a decent restaurant near his loft, isn't there? It's a grand night; I wouldn't mind taking a walk with a beautiful blond by my side," he told Justin with a smile. He turned to Brian. "That okay with you, cousin?"

Brian scowled, seething inside. He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me one way or the other," he told Liam as he turned around and promptly headed down the stairs, bound for his Jeep parked across the street.

"Come on," Justin told the other man tersely as he grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket to follow after Brian.

* * *

"Wow," Liam remarked a few minutes later as Brian swung open the heavy metal door to his loft and he got his first look at the grandiose space. "This is amazing! I could fit at least TWO of my flat inside here!"

Brian unceremoniously threw his black, leather jacket down onto the back of the couch as he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to retrieve a bottle of water. "I worked hard for this place," he told him as he unscrewed the plastic cap and took a big swig of the cold liquid. "Want one?" he asked as Liam shook his head. He furrowed his brow as he noticed Brian didn't ask Justin the same thing. Why was his cousin being such an asshole? He wondered. "Justin...thirsty?"

Justin shook his head as he stood stiffly by the front door, his arms crossed over his chest as he hugged himself. "No, I'm fine," he told him.

Liam nodded back at him. He smiled reassuringly as he turned to Brian to ask, "So where do you want me, cousin?"

Brian bit back the response he REALLY wanted to say as he informed him, "Only have one bedroom." There was no doubt as to what Brian was saying, either - or who would be using the bedroom while Liam was there.

"No problem," Liam told him congenially as he looked over at the butter-soft, expensive-looking, cream-colored couch. "I'll be glad to take the couch for my bed." He smiled. "It's...very generous of you to put me up here, Brian. Thank you, mate."

"I didn't exactly have a choice," Brian told him honestly by way of explanation, not wanting him to think he had been looking forward to the idea; he was even less now. "My mother's an asshole."

Liam nodded with an unexpected grin. "Yeah...I remember your mum well," he told him. "Drank like a fish, she did. If she was any colder, she could have made a living as a fucking iceberg. At least, that was my opinion of her back then. Has she changed any?" he asked Brian curiously.

Brian snorted. "Only for the worse," he told him.

Liam nodded. "Well...I guess Justin and I will be off, then," he told his cousin, who remained stonily silent. He dropped his duffel bag down onto the couch with a thump, turning to peer over at the blond. "I'm ready to collect on my bet," he told Justin with a wink as he walked over to join him. "Any suggestions for a respectable place to eat, preferably with a decent Guinness on tap?"

Justin bit his lip in thought. "Well, there's Kelly's a couple of blocks down. Nothing fancy - but they have a lot of different beers on tap, and specialize in Irish imports; and the food is decent."

Liam grinned. "Sounds like my kind of place, then; you lead the way," he told his companion. Lightly placing his hand on Justin's back, he turned briefly around to peer over at Brian who was still silently observing them. "Not sure what time we'll be back," he told him as he waggled his eyebrows meaningfully, not noticing the way the Justin held his breath over that remark.

Brian's jaw tightened as he struggled to even out his own harsh breathing before replying nonchalantly, "Come back whenever you want." He paused for a few seconds before he added more softly, "Justin has the code to get back in."

Liam nodded, again a little confused over exactly what the two men's relationship was. Justin had the security code to come and go whenever he pleased? Brian had said they were 'friends with benefits.' Was that a mutual decision between them - or even accurate? It didn't seem to bother his cousin that he was going out with Justin - or did it? He would have to try and find out somehow. "Okay," he told him with a half-smile. "Have fun, then. I know _I_ will."

Several seconds later, the two men quietly disappeared through the still-open door, the steady humming of the elevator sounding as they slowly descended to the bottom floor, leaving Brian alone with his thoughts and the image of his cousin's hand lightly braced against his boyfriend's back. The steady tick-tick-tick of the sleek, contemporary, kitchen clock over the sink seemed to mock Brian as he stood there, his previous boast about seeking some mindless entertainment of his own promptly forgotten as a dichotomy of thoughts rushed through his head. Just what was he trying to prove? What was the point? Did it feel GOOD to hurt Justin? Was it revenge for what he had done to _him_? And just what HAD he done to him? Was it _his_ fault that he had opted to be enfolded into the arms of the first willing man to appear after he had practically shoved him away?

Well, HE hadn't been the one to lie about his whereabouts. HE hadn't been the one to sneak around behind his back and succumb to that idiot's charms, just because he refused to mimic some silly, nonsensical, romantic faggot. He had been honest with Justin from the beginning about their relationship, or lack thereof...hadn't he? He rubbed his hand over his face wearily as he walked over and sat down on the couch, peering over at the somewhat tattered, canvas duffel bag belonging to his cousin lying next to him. The man he had thought would drag him down this week and stunt his style. The man he had thought would be so ugly and plain that he would need to wear a disguise if he was seen in public with him, just so no one realized they were related. He pursed his lips together dryly. _Well, the joke's on you, Kinney_, he couldn't help thinking as he sat there, unable to keep from thinking about what was happening between his now-handsome cousin and the intriguing, amazing, younger man who occupied more of his thoughts - and a much bigger piece of his heart - than he cared to admit. "Fuck," he muttered at last as he downed the last of his water before rising to go in search of something stronger that would dull the feeling that had settled, heavy and foreboding, in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

_Kelly's Tavern Down the Street - Thirty Minutes Later_

Justin smiled as he placed his beer mug down onto the round, table-clothed table and peered over at Liam. "A fish toss in the middle of the street?" He wrinkled his nose in distaste over the thought, an action that his companion found inexplicably charming. "Wouldn't they be awfully slippery?"

Liam grinned with a nod. "Yeah. And stinky, too," he added with a grimace. "Luckily they let us wear these yellow, rubber gloves that help you to get a good grip on them. And I'm sure it goes without saying that we don't actually eat them afterward, either." He shrugged as Justin scrunched up his face in response. "It's for charity," he said in his defense.

Justin laughed. "_What_ charity? I'm guessing it's not PETA."

Liam chuckled. "No, no, no! Actually, it's for the widows of the fishermen who go out in their boats and get lost at sea."

Justin's face transformed into something more serious. "Oh, I'm sorry. Does that happen a lot?"

"Not a lot," Liam assured him. "But it does happen. Sometimes the waters get choppy or a storm swell develops unexpectedly, and they get stuck out at sea with little protection. Most of the fisherman are independent operators, so they don't belong to any union or anything for protection or to regulate their income, so they sometimes take risks that perhaps they shouldn't."

Justin nodded as he took another drink of his beer. It had been one that Liam had recommended, and while he had never really been a big lover of Irish beers, this one had a rather unique, almost nutty taste that he found fairly palatable.

Liam peered over at his beautiful companion, so many questions in his head, not only about him, but also Justin's relationship with his cousin. He couldn't contain his curiosity any longer as he began, "So, that's one of the ways we entertain ourselves in a backwater town in Ireland...What about _you_? What do YOU like to do as a hobby? Besides lose at pool?" he added, a twinkle in his eye.

"Hey," Justin protested good-naturedly with a lopsided smile. "Well...I like to listen to indie bands, try out new restaurants, hang out with my friends, go to the dance clubs..."

Liam smiled at him as his eyes raked briefly over the lithe form. "I bet you're a hell of a good dancer, too," he stated as Justin felt the heat bloom on his face.

"I do okay," he replied humbly as Liam grinned. "Anyway...I guess my real passion, though, is painting."

"Really?" Liam's brows shot up in surprise. "Interior or exterior? Latex or oils?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Justin frowned; until he realized what he meant. "God, no! I'm not one of those painters that walk around in bib overalls, carrying a thermos in one hand and a bucket in the other; I mean, I like to..."

Liam chuckled. "I know what you mean," he assured him quickly. "I was just teasing you."

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Justin scolded him before rewarding him with a grudging half-smile. "You're definitely related to Brian, all right."

Liam snickered, taking a drink from his own beer mug before he asked, "So what types of paintings do you do? And what medium?"

"Mainly abstracts," Justin told him, his voice rising with passion. "And normally acrylics. But sometimes I use a CGI program for my work. And I like to draw candid portraits, too, sometimes; oh, and I also like to sketch out my ideas first with a graphite pencil. So it more or less depends upon the subject matter and what the purpose is."

"You must really love drawing and painting," Liam commented as Justin nodded, observing the way that Justin's face lit up as he spoke and how animated his voice became. "I'd love to follow you back to your place and look at your sketchings," he replied with a sly grin, waggling his eyebrows at him.

Justin burst out laughing. "That is so lame. And I thought the _other_ come-on lines were bad."

Liam grinned back at him. "Well, you can't blame a guy for trying." His face turned more serious as he asked unexpectedly, "You don't live with Brian, do you?"

Justin's smile disappeared abruptly as he shook his head and mumbled awkwardly, "No."

Liam studied him thoughtfully, easily detecting the change in his mood. "Justin...Can I ask you something?" he asked quietly.

Justin gulped down a large swig of his beer to steady his nerves before he finally nodded with a shrug. _Why not? _"What do you want to know?"

"Brian called you 'friends with benefits.' What does that mean exactly?"

Justin scoffed in reaction. "Surely it means the same thing in your country that it does here in ours."

"Yes, of course. That's not what I meant."

"Well, then, what DID you mean?"

Liam idly played with the stainless steel fork lying in front of him as he analyzed Justin's perturbed expression. _Why did he appear so irritated by the question? _He hastily tried to explain. "I just mean that, well...Look at you! Surely you could have any man that you wanted. Do you prefer having your needs met instead by someone like my cousin, who apparently isn't interested in a long-term relationship?"

That statement struck too close to home for Justin as he growled low in his throat, "You don't know shit about Brian, Liam. And, besides, it's none of your damn business, so just stay the fuck _out_ of it."

Liam's mouth dropped open as he watched Justin scoot back from the table and rise to stand. He hastily moved to intercept him, the nearby patrons giving them a quizzical look.

"Justin, wait!" Liam pleaded as he reached over to grab his dining companion's arm. "I didn't mean to offend you. Please...I just want to understand."

Justin's chest was heaving in and out in aggravation as he strove to control his breathing. _Why was he even defending Brian anyway? _he wondered as he peered over at his cousin in agitation. The only question was: Was he more perturbed at Liam...or with himself? "Why does it matter to you?" he finally asked as he stood there with his hands crossed over his chest, feeling the stares of several other people around him. He sighed, his previous irritation abating somewhat as it transformed into more of a weary feeling. "You know what? I'm done here; I've suddenly lost my appetite. I'm leaving..._alone_." Thrusting his right hand into his jeans pocket, he slapped a ten-dollar bill down onto the table and, pulling his arm away from the other man, he pivoted around and headed toward the front door.

Mortified, Liam threw another ten-dollar bill down onto the table next to Justin's before he, too, rushed outside, just in time to see Justin's legs carrying him quickly away from the tavern. "Justin, wait!" he cried out, noticing Justin twist his head briefly before he turned back around and proceeded down the street. Fortunately, Liam's longer legs served him well as he quickly rushed after his target and soon caught up to him. "Justin, come on!" he beseeched as, out of breath, he ran just ahead of him to stop his progress and force him to face him. "Will you please stop for just a minute?"

"Just leave me alone," Justin replied wearily, his anger all spent now. "I'm tired. I just want to go home."

"Back to Brian's loft?" was the soft question.

Justin swallowed hard. "No," he answered a little hoarsely. "I don't live with Brian." He scoffed. "I just show up when the mood strikes him and he needs his itch scratched."

Liam shook his head. "I'm sorry, mate. But I still don't get it."

Justin's voice turned hard as he told his companion, "It's not necessary that you understand, Liam. Just go back to your cousin and let it go."

But the Irish man wasn't ready to capitulate just yet. "Hey, I was supposed to get a dinner with you," Liam pointed out with a half-smile, trying to lessen the tenseness. "But I'll settle for a walk. How about you play tour guide for a while and just show me the sights instead?"

Justin snorted. "You're in the Pitts, not Paris. There's no Eiffel Tower here. There ARE no sights - unless you want to walk around and gape at all the exhibitionists. I wouldn't recommend that, though; they're liable to slap you over the head with something if you look at them sideways."

Liam laughed. "Sounds charming," he remarked dryly, at last evoking a half-smile from his companion. "Come on. What do you say? Surely there's _some _place around here that's worth seeing."

Justin contemplated that briefly; it was mid-evening - about an hour before darkness would fall. One particular place came to mind. "Well...it's not exactly a tourist attraction, but..."

"Good enough for me," Liam instantly decided as he held his hand out. "Lead the way, and I'll follow. I trust your judgment."

Justin stared at him for a moment before he finally nodded. The truth was, maybe it _would_ be nice to talk to someone about his and Brian's rather unorthodox relationship. God knows he certainly couldn't talk to Michael about it, even though he no doubt knew Brian better than anyone. He knew Michael was loyal to a fault when it came to Brian, and could never be neutral. Somehow he sensed that even though this man was Brian's cousin, he might actually be willing to listen with an open mind. "Okay," he decided at last. "This way," he told the other man as he took off down the sidewalk with determination.


	5. Bonding

_Thirty Minutes Later - Waterford Park_

"Wow, I would have never thought something like this existed around here."

From their place on a weathered, wooden bench facing the large lake, Justin gazed out onto the water. "That's the way I like it," he replied pensively. "I like to come here not only to draw, but also for the solitude it provides me...and sometimes to just clear my head a little."

"It seems peaceful here, even though it's really close to...what it is? Liberty Avenue?"

Justin nodded in confirmation as he continued to stare pensively out at the placid water. "Yeah. It's a whole different world here."

"Sometime it's good to be alone to think things through."

Justin turned to study him at last as he nodded. "You do that, too?"

Liam nodded back at him with a half-smile. "Where I come from, there's a main part of town with the typical shops and restaurants. Different than here, though," he told him. "All the shops are made of stone, mostly, and a lot older than your buildings. And we have a lot of pasture surrounding the town; plus it's a lot hillier."

"Must be beautiful where you come from."

Liam nodded with a grimace. "Yeah...But sometimes a little more excitement would be nice. Playing darts is about as daring as we get in the pubs."

Justin turned to smile. "No clubs?"

Liam shook his head. "Not even a cinema. It's a pretty small town. That's part of the reason why I asked my stepmum to call Joan and ask if I could come and visit. I don't have a lot of money, so I thought I could save some cash by staying with my good old cousin Brian - the asshole."

Justin opened his mouth to protest, even though Brian wasn't exactly endearing himself to him at the moment. "He's not an asshole. Well, not _all_ the time, anyway," he added grudgingly as Liam gave him a dubious look. "He isn't," Justin insisted. "He's good at impersonating one, though," he admitted. "But he's done more for his friends - and for me - than anyone will ever know. If it hadn't been for him, I would have never gone to PIFA."

Liam frowned. "PIFA?"

"Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts," Justin explained softly. "It was my dream to go there. If it hadn't been for Brian..."

"He helped pay for your tuition?" Liam surmised correctly.

Justin nodded. "Yeah, except he didn't help_pay_ for it," he clarified softly, suddenly feeling inexplicably embarrassed. "He paid _all_ of it. At least until we broke up."

Liam glanced over at him in surprise. "Broke up? If you're broken up, why did you agree to keep me company until my cousin arrived? Are you trying to get back together again?"

Justin grunted at the irony; were they ever actually _together? _No, at least not in the traditional sense, anyway. "Not exactly." He proceeded to spend the next several minutes then, describing the past year with and without his lover and in full Technicolor detail, deciding for some reason to confide in this man who was a virtual stranger to him. Once he had finished, however, he felt his burden lift just a little bit, even though the dark cloud of guilt and sadness remained.

"Wow," Liam exclaimed with a soft whistle as he peered over at Justin. "And I thought our serials back home were bloody melodramatic." He shook his head in bemusement. "How did you two meet, anyway?"

Justin offered him a wry smile. "That's a whole other story," he murmured.

"Well, I'm all ears, mate," Liam chirped brightly. "Can't wait to hear the back story."

Justin sighed. "Not too much to tell, I guess. I wanted to do some exploring when I turned seventeen, so I wondered down here to Liberty Avenue..."

"You mean you wanted to have your cherry popped."

Justin laughed. "Yeah, something like that," he admitted. "Anyway, I was standing outside one of the bars on Liberty Avenue, leaning against one of the lampposts, and he walked up to me and introduced himself in true, Brian Kinney fashion."

"Ahh...I can just imagine _that_. He took you home and fucked the living daylights out of you, then."

Justin nodded with a smile as the memories came flooding back to him. "Yeah...But he was also very patient with me when he didn't have to be," he revealed, his face warming over the mental vision of Brian slowly invading his body for the first time, and how he had made him feel. It had been glorious that night - it still was, actually, every time they were together. No one had ever made him feel the way that Brian had - and deep down he suspected that no one ever would. I_f only it were that easy_...he thought mournfully. He gazed down at his hands, deep in thought, before he lifted his gaze to peer over at the other man. "It's almost dark," he declared. "I...I guess we'd better head back."

"You have a curfew?" Liam teased.

Justin grinned. "Not anymore. Used to when I was younger." He shook his head. "No, but the friend I live with will get worried soon if I don't get home." That wasn't exactly true; he could call Daphne, but he suddenly felt the urge to escape from anything - or anyone - that remotely reminded him of Brian.

Liam nodded as Justin rose to stand and he fell into a companionable pace with him. Glancing around the darkening scene, he confided, "You realize I'm terrible at directions."

"Huh?"

"I'll need help getting back to Brian's loft," he explained. "Really," he added for emphasis as Justin gave him a dubious look.

He sighed. "Liam...It's just a few blocks down that way; my friend Daphne's apartment is the other way." He cocked his head toward the right as they came to a street corner. "You'll be fine."

"Mate, I've gotten lost back in my own hometown," he stated. "Truly. Give a bloke a break and walk me back there. You want to be responsible for me getting mugged?"

Brian's cousin bestowed a puppy-dog look on Justin, making him snort. "You're as bad as Brian; almost, anyway," he decided. _And just as hard to say no to_, he couldn't help thinking silently. He sighed. "Okay. But I'm NOT coming up once we get there; you understand?"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Justin somehow found himself standing in the rickety elevator inside Brian's building as it ascended to the top floor, wondering how he had gotten talked into actually coming back up. Was he into some sort of S&M? He decided he must be, since he clearly expected to see Brian going at it hot and heavy with his most current trick as soon as he swung the door open.

Pulling the door to slide it open a few minutes later, he held his breath as he waited for the expected moans and pants of full-blown fucking going on. To his surprise, however, it was oddly quiet inside, except for the sound of some soulful type of jazz playing in the background over the speaker system. Justin frowned; Brian normally only played that sort of music when he was either working on a project, or in a contemplative mood. Sure enough, he turned his head to observe Brian hunched over his computer desk, his face illuminated by the harsh, white glare of the desktop as he stared intently at the screen.

His lover/boyfriend/whatever bestowed a cursory glance at the two of them as he and Liam entered, his face carefully hiding any true emotion he might be feeling.

"Hey," Justin finally greeted him softly as he stood there, uncertain as to what to do.

"What you working on, mate?" Liam queried.

"Work," was the terse, one-word answer as Liam nodded. Finally Brian lifted his head to stare over at him, unable to keep from wondering what had - or hadn't - happened between the two of them when they had been alone earlier. He rubbed his face with his hand, as if trying to erase the unsettling thoughts that were swirling around in his head.

"Mind if I get something to drink?"

Brian shrugged as he returned to studying his computer. "Water's in the fridge," he told him, deliberately choosing not to offer him anything else.

Liam exchanged a pained look with Justin before the blond took the lead, walking over to the fridge to retrieve a couple bottles of water for him and Brian's cousin and heading over to the couch to take a seat, placing his lightweight jacket down on the back cushion. Liam followed to sit beside him, smiling a thanks at him as Justin handed him a bottle.

"Oh!" Liam exclaimed as he suddenly remembered something, causing Brian to peer over at him curiously. "I almost forgot," he added as he reached to place his bottle of water down on the glass top of the coffee table; Justin shook his head and grasped the older man's wrist, sliding a James Dean coaster over before Liam placed his bottle down on top.

"I brought something with me that you might find interesting," he told Justin as he stood up and walked over to a nearby chair to retrieve his duffel bag, unzipping it to remove a small photo album from inside. Walking back over to the couch, he sat down next to Justin, so close that their thighs brushed up against each other briefly as he grinned, a twinkle in his eyes. "Don't you just love family albums?" he remarked as he opened up the somewhat worn-looking album and pointed to an old, Polaroid photo, its color faded but the two boys portrayed still easily discernible. He winced. "Try to ignore the carrot-top kid on the left," he pleaded as Justin grinned. "But see if you can figure out who the other kid is."

Justin subconsciously leaned closer to Liam, evoking an unknowing scowl from Brian, who was studying them from his place at his desk, all thoughts of his work abruptly cast aside. He watched as a big smile broke out on Justin's face as he laughed; the type of laugh that always captivated him for some reason, for in addition to Justin's smile, the sound of his laughter was always quite endearing to him (not that he would ever tell _him_ that, of course).

"Oh, my God!" Justin exclaimed with glee, as he looked over at Brian, who quickly averted his gaze to make sure Justin was not aware he had been spying on him. "This is _you_ in the geeky fisherman's hat and the waders?" He squinted his eyes, leaning over even closer to look at the photo. "Are those fishing lures hanging from the brim of your hat? Oh, shit, this is priceless!" Justin turned back to Liam to ask, "Mind if I borrow this? I'd like to get an enlargement made. Do you have any others like this?"

Brian rolled his eyes; he could only imagine what sort of photos his cousin had brought with him. Back then, his pesky sister insisted on accompanying them practically everywhere they went, and had just received a Polaroid camera from their parents for her birthday. She used it to take candid shots of them everywhere, and seemed to excel in finding the most horrid of opportunities to show him in his worst light.

Liam grinned. "Oh, I've got plenty," he responded with a waggle of his eyebrows. "Brian and I hung out a lot together back then. Look at this one," he told Justin as he flipped the page. It showed Brian standing like a coal miner in front of the entrance to a cave, a bright yellow hard hat perched askew on his tousled head, work gloves that seemed two sizes too big for him, and knee pads over his jeans. His face was smudged with what appeared to be coal, his nose and cheeks tinged with a grayish-type substance.

Justin giggled. "That's _Brian?_" He looked over at his lover, who arched his right eyebrow questioningly.

Liam grinned. "Remember the McKenna Mine, mate? We had some good times in there. There was even a small lake at the very bottom of it where we went skinny dipping. If our folks had found out about that, though, they would have had a bloody fit."

Brian groaned inwardly. He remembered that photo well. He and Brady, uh, Liam had just emerged from the bottom of the cave, all sooty and sweaty from having to extricate themselves from a narrow crevice about halfway up when they had become disoriented and gotten lost. It had been a miracle they had even found their way back out, or they could have been a couple of skeletons found years later during a search party expedition to find them.

He winced as Justin actually burst forth with a belly laugh. "How did you _expect_ us to dress, Sunshine, when we were exploring a fucking cave?" Brian groused.

Liam peered over at him curiously. _Sunshine?_ That seemed like an oddly endearing nickname for Brian to use on any man, but somehow he suspected there was more to this situation than he knew yet. "Brian's right," he told his companion. "We really got down and dirty in there. You wouldn't believe some of the spots we would wedge ourselves into. The scarier, the better. Right, cuz?"

Brian glared over at his cousin as Justin grinned, thoroughly enjoying his lover's reluctant trip down memory lane. "Let's see some more," Justin chirped eagerly as Liam readily complied, turning to the next page that displayed a shot of the two cousins atop a couple of donkeys. Liam smiled confidently down from his perch as if he belonged there, while Brian appeared scared to death.

"Donkeys?" Justin asked Brian, who shrugged.

"Hey, I can't help it if the neighbors raised them instead of sheep. We didn't exactly have horses around, either. Trust me, that place is more boring than date night at the Gay and Lesbian Center."

Justin laughed as he gazed back down at the photo. "How old _were _you?" he inquired. "This is certainly BM."

"Excuse me?" That sounded suspiciously like Justin was making some sort of reference to his personal hygiene.

"Before Michael," his lover explained with a grin as Brian nodded in understanding.

"Before Michael?" Liam inquired, confused.

Justin explained, "His best friend since they were teens."

Liam nodded.

"So how old would you say you were in these pictures?" Justin inquired.

"Oh. I'd say we were about 12 here," Liam confirmed. "Spent part of every summer together, we did."

Justin nodded, fascinated. He knew very little, actually, about Brian before they met, so he soaked up every tidbit he could find like a thirsty sponge. "That would make sense, because I think he and Michael met a year or two later." He glanced over at Brian for verification but he had returned to his work, seemingly unconcerned about what other secrets his cousin might reveal. He decided he didn't care at the moment as he urged Liam, "Do tell me more. And make sure you show me all the photos, too."

Liam looked over at his cousin questioningly; after all, he WAS putting him up for free for the week, and some of the photos _were _pretty embarrassing, at least to someone so image conscious now as his cousin. "Uh..."

"Oh, by all means, go right ahead, _Cousin Brady_," Brian told him dryly, deliberately using the name his cousin detested. "Tell widdle Justin all about it. Unlike you, I have _work _to do." He deliberately turned back to his computer and began to type some information into the screen, completely ignoring the other two men who were still sitting way too close to each other. He wasn't about to give Justin or his cousin the satisfaction of knowing how he disliked that, however.

* * *

_Several minutes later..._

Brian rolled his eyes as Justin let forth with yet another delighted giggle, forcing himself not to react to how much pleasure his lover was apparently deriving out of his nerdy photos. He had decided to retreat to the bathroom after a few minutes when he couldn't stand it any longer and a take a shower, but he had no trouble hearing what the other two men were saying as he emerged from the stall and dried himself off, wrapping a towel provocatively around his lower body and admiring his sleek physique in the mirror. As hard as he tried not to listen to what the two were saying as he turned to head back out into the living room area, it was unavoidable as he stopped near the folding panels.

"Look at this," Liam was declaring with a laugh as Brian secretly eavesdropped in on their conversation. "The day that Brian Kinney met a ram he didn't like; or should I say, a ram that didn't like _him._"

Brian rolled his eyes. _Shit. _He remembered that photo well. TOO well. He and his cousin had come up with the foolish scheme of trying their hand at shearing sheep on the next-door neighbor's farm one night after a few rounds of Guinness, with disastrous results. Their try at shearing the sheep with their initials had gone wrong when the sheep had reared up and soundly kicked him in the stomach. Liam, of course, 'just happened' to have his sister's camera ready to record the moment for posterity - emphasis on the 'posterior' part, since, he had found himself promptly on his ass when the ram had retaliated.

Justin giggled; Brian frowned. That sort of giggle normally only happened when he had had too much to drink, or he had given Justin some 'E,' and the last time he looked Justin had been doing neither. "Brian Kinney and rams not going together? How can THAT be? Oh, wait a minute! My bad. I was thinking of _ramMING_."

Liam grinned as Justin giggled then again, his face lighting up with a dazzling smile that made Liam's eyes widen. _Holy shit_. _Sunshine, indeed..._

Justin's smile slowly diminished as he noticed the intense look his companion was giving him. His eyes dilated slightly, highlighting the blueness of them and making Liam's heart skip a beat. The words - and his subsequent actions - were done before he was even aware of it - and before his common sense kicked in.

"Fuck, Justin. You are so damn amazing," he murmured as he leaned in closer to the blond, his intentions crystal clear as the small photo album slowly slipped from his hands and fell with a thump onto the hardwood floor, swiftly forgotten in place of more urgent matters. He wanted so desperately to taste those lips inches away from his own as his eyes drifted to the enticing mouth just beckoning to be kissed. Placing his hands on either side of Justin's face, he slowly inched forward until he was almost touching his lips.

Justin's blue eyes widened in realization, and his pulse pounded in anticipation. Half of him wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed by this handsome man with the captivating accent, the lopsided smile and the self-assuredness that bordered on cockiness, while the other half caused alarm bells to go off.

Brian's heart dropped as he watched his lover - and his cousin - seemingly about to engage in some less-than-desirable activity, at least from _his _standpoint, anyway. _What the fuck_? What happened to their 'rule' about no kissing on the mouth with anyone else? Justin's rule. Oh, yeah; that had promptly gone out the window when Justin had started seeing 'what's his name.' It was like someone watching a train wreck about to happen; he couldn't stand to see what was about to happen as he stared over at the two men sitting so close together, but at the same time he couldn't look away, either.

Alone with Brian's cousin, Justin had a split second to decide what he wanted to do...just in time to turn his head to avert the lips that were seeking his, Liam's mouth winding up somewhere east of its desired destination as he wound up with a kiss on the cheek, instead.

Liam pulled back in surprise, his brows creasing in question. "Justin?" he asked softly, totally bewildered. Normally he was an excellent judge of another man's desires, but this one consistently left him totally befuddled and perplexed. He would have sworn Justin had wanted the kiss every bit as much as he had wanted to give it to him.

Justin let out a breath to relieve the tension, pulling back and standing up as Liam frowned up at him. "It's really late," he replied, reaching to grab his jacket and hurriedly shrugging into it. "Daphne will be wondering where I am; I'd better get going. Do me a favor, and tell Brian I said goodbye." With an apologetic look, Justin turned around and quickly headed toward the door.

"Justin, wait!" Liam called over to him. But the blond was gone seemingly in a flash, hurriedly pulling the heavy, metal door open in record time and escaping before he could say another word to him.


	6. Confidantes and the Painful Truth

_Liam lays it on the line for his cousin, as Justin confides in Daphne. Will Brian listen to what his cousin has to say? _

* * *

"Justin, wait!" Liam called to him. But the blond was gone seemingly in a flash, hurriedly pulling the heavy, metal door open in record time and escaping before he could say another word to him. He shook his head. What had just happened here? _Fuck. _

"Struck out, eh, Brady?" Brian snickered from a few feet away, enormously relieved - and just a little surprised, frankly - that Justin hadn't cooperated. He walked over to smirk at his unlucky cousin, as the other man glared back at him. "Once more I come out victorious. I take it your little dinner didn't go quite as planned...cousin?" He walked over to his portable wet bar, pouring himself a glass of Beam and turning back to smugly face the other man.

Liam shook his head in disgust, realizing Brian must have seen what had happened. "You just don't get it, do you, mate?" he growled, highly perturbed. The only problem was, he didn't know if he was more upset with himself for pushing his attentions on another man whose heart already belonged to someone else, or the 'someone else' who was such a callous asshole. Of course, Brian had always been that way, at least to a certain extent.

Brian sat down in the nearest chair perpendicular to the couch, downing another swig of his glass before replying, "Oh, do tell. Enlighten me, then."

Liam studied the other man for a moment, wondering if it was even worth it. But he genuinely liked Justin. Maybe _too _much. But for his sake, and because he knew how deeply he cared about his asshole of a cousin, he would try and do the noble thing and help him, even if it meant cutting off his own head to do it. "It had nothing to do with me just now, and everything to do with YOU."

"Really."

Liam huffed. "Yeah, man, really. Do you realize how much he cares about you? Why, I can't imagine," he muttered as an afterthought.

"Excuse me? This really is none of your damn business, anyway," Brian growled.

"Whether it is or not, you're an idiot."

"Okay, I'll bite. What the fuck are you talking about? _I _didn't get rejected, dear cousin; YOU did."

"This isn't ABOUT rejection, Brian. It's about you risking losing the best thing that's ever happened to you. Don't you realize that?"

Brian's face darkened. "Like I said, _Brady_, this is NONE of your fucking business. You don't know shit. Stay the hell out of it." He belted back the rest of his drink and slammed the shot glass down onto a side table as he glared over resentfully at the other man.

"Whether it is or not - and whether you throw me out on my ass afterward or not - I'm going to speak my piece. Justin told me over dinner what had happened between you. Yes, the whole thing," he added as Brian arched one eyebrow in question. "Including the mistakes that he's made. He didn't come right out and tell me he loves you, but anyone with half a brain can see that just by the way he talks about you. What he just did should tell you that, too. But you know what? If you don't get your head out of your ass and see what's right in front of you, you're going to LOSE that boy. Maybe not to me - although, fuck knows I would jump at the chance - but to someone who appreciates him for who he is."

Brian pursed his lips tightly together in agitation, feeling the sting of truth staring back at him. "Like I said, _dear cousin_, this is NONE of your fucking..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Liam retorted. "And I don't care. I'm telling you...trust me; you are going to lose Justin if you don't make some changes. As much as he loves you, he is too amazing a person to stick around and be your perpetual whipping dog."

"Don't you think I fucking KNOW that?" Brian suddenly blurted out. _That's what I'm afraid of_, came unbidden to his mind.

Liam shook his head in confusion. "Then why don't you do something about it?"

Brian sighed heavily as he brushed his right hand through his hair, mussing it up. "He's never going to stay with me."

Liam snorted. "Not if you keep treating him this way. He knows he made mistakes with your relationship," he continued, noticing his cousin not denying there WAS a 'relationship.' "And I can tell he regrets what he did. But I can tell he's trying to repair what he did. You, however, are NOT making it easy on him."

"Why should I? I didn't leave. I didn't go fuck the first person who offered him all that romantic, worthless bullshit."

"No, I'm sure you didn't. I know you well enough - even though it's been years - to believe that. But I'm not saying you have to spout poetry at him." He shook his head sadly. "I know your parents treated you like shit growing up, Brian. But that man loves you. A lot. There's no reason to think he wouldn't keep loving you - if you only find some way to let him know how you feel about _him_."

"He already knows that," Brian stated unequivocally.

"Really? How? You don't remind me of someone who wears their heart on their sleeve. And I don't think Justin's talents include being a mind reader."

"No, that's all a bunch of crap. He just...knows, that's all. He's smart."

"Well, that I can agree with," Liam replied. "But I can also tell just by what little I've heard and seen that he's the type of man who needs to know that somehow." He paused, eyeing his cousin sympathetically despite his own disappointment from what had happened earlier. "All I'm saying is...find a way. Before it's too late."

Brian remained stonily silent as Liam sighed. "Okay, I'll go, then." He half-smiled. "I'm sure I can find a fleabag motel around here somewhere." He stood up and reached for his duffel bag, only to stop when Brian finally spoke up again.

"You don't have to do that. A promise is a promise."

Liam turned to face him, surprised. "But...?"

"I said...you can stay."

"Are you sure?" Liam pressed, clutching the strap of the canvas duffel bag in his hands.

"Yeah," Brian replied quietly, their conversation swirling around in his head. Part of him wanted to go after Justin, to try and talk to him like Liam had urged him to do. But another part of him was afraid; afraid of both exposing his feelings too much, and afraid of, yes, rejection. He knew his cousin was right; he had no doubt how Justin felt about him. But he never was and never would be the mushy, sentimental type. So how was he to reconcile the two? He stood up. "Get some sleep," he told his cousin. "I have to be up early tomorrow. You can stay here for the week, but I have to work while you're here. I'll get you a pillow and blanket." His cousin watched silently as Brian walked back into his bedroom and emerged a minute later with the bedding, handing it to him.

"Thanks." He studied his cousin carefully as Brian nodded before turning to go. "But you aren't going to...?"

Brian turned around to warn him tersely, "I said stay out of it, Liam," was the sharp rebuke. "It's my problem, and my business."

Brian was almost back to the bedroom when he heard his cousin finally respond. "Just think about what I said, Brian," he called out to him quietly. "Before it's too late." Brian stopped for a moment before, without another work, he walked into his bedroom and shut the blinds, leaving Liam shaking his head sadly.

* * *

_Daphne's Apartment_

"What?"

Daphne peered over at her friend in concern as she walked over to the couch, silently holding out a bag of Oreos to Justin as he shook his head.

"Now I know something REALLY happened," Daphne decided as she plopped down cross-legged beside him, placing the bag of cookies down on the coffee table in front of them. "What did he do _this _time?"

Justin huffed. "Why does it always have to be about him?"

"Because it is," was the simple answer. "So spill. Why the hound dog face?"

"I don't look like that," Justin maintained. Daphne fixed him with a dubious stare until he finally signed in resignation. "Okay, so it IS about him...and his cousin."

Daphne's eyes grew bigger. "Oh, that's right! You said his geeky cousin was coming to visit this week. Did you get to meet him at Woody's tonight?"

Justin nodded grimly. "Yeah, I met him, all right. All 6'2" muscled inches of him."

Daphne frowned. She wasn't surprised with it being Brian's cousin that he would be tall - after all, Justin had said Brian described him as a lanky beanpole, or words to that effect. But the other word didn't quite fit her mental image of him. "Muscled? I thought he was supposed to be all teeth and a nerd."

"Yeah, so did I. But it seems that Brady - or Liam, as he likes to be called now - discovered the wonders of dental cosmetic surgery and bulking up." Justin shook his head as if he could erase everything that had happened earlier, but he knew he couldn't. "Where do I start?" he murmured at last.

"Daphne turned her body to face him then to prepare herself. "At the beginning," she declared. "And don't leave out a word."

* * *

_Fifteen Minutes Later..._

"He tried to kiss you - in Brian's loft?!"

Justin nodded. "He tried...but at the last minute I turned my head, and he wound up giving me more of a peck on the cheek."

Daphne grinned. "I bet Brian didn't like it, though. I can't believe he would try that in Brian's loft!"

"Brian doesn't know. He was in the bathroom," Justin told her, unaware of how wrong he was. "Wouldn't have mattered anyway," he added glumly.

"Oh, come on, Justin! A hunky guy makes a move on you, and Brian wouldn't care? You know better than that! You told me his reaction to that guy after the King of Babylon contest - not to mention...well, you know..." Her voice trailed off.

"Maybe," Justin conceded. "But it doesn't matter. I got up and left right after that happened, so Brian's never going to know." Justin shook his head. "I think I'm going to stay away from there while Liam's visiting anyway. I don't need any more drama. Besides, Brian no doubt wants to have more space so he can bring his Trick of the Day home with him and demonstrate his sexual prowess to his cousin and taunt him with his superiority. I get the impression after seeing all their photos together that there was a lot of competition going on when they were growing up. I think this is just an extension of it."

"And you're the prize," Daphne observed dryly.

"No, I am not," Justin told her emphatically. Letting out a deep breath, he rose from the couch.

"Where are you going?"

"I...I don't know. I can't sleep. I guess I'll just take a walk; maybe try to clear my head a little bit."

"Justin, it's three in the morning. Don't you have class at 8?"

"I'll be okay. Tomorrow's class doesn't start until ten. I won't be gone long." He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "Thanks for caring," he whispered. "You go onto bed; I'll be fine."

Daphne nodded as she watched him head toward the door, unconvinced. Waiting until Justin had left - and knowing there was really nothing she could do at the moment to ease his pain - she finally did as he asked and headed off to bed, silently cursing the enigma known as Brian Kinney.

* * *

_One Week Later..._

"Fuck!" Brian threw his phone across the couch in frustration. He had tried to call Justin countless times this week, but it kept going to voicemail. He had even resorted to calling Daphne's cell, but received the same response. If he didn't know better, he would swear the two of them were in cahoots together in refusing to answer their phones. In all likelihood, they were. He didn't really stop to think why his inability to reach Justin was bothering him so much, but it did. It wasn't as if Justin were the only man in the Pitts he could fuck, was he? Far from it. But deep down he knew it was much more than that.

His cousin, as it turned out, hadn't been much of a bother. Three nights this past week he had wound up staying over at some guy's place that he had hooked up with earlier in the week, and the other nights he had mainly headed down to Liberty Avenue on his own, bragging later that all he had to do was reveal to everyone within earshot that he was Brian Kinney's cousin, and they were practically knocking each other down in a puddle of drool in an attempt to get to 'know him better.' He had bragged several times that he had had more than his share of action during his stay - to the point of exhaustion (said with a typical, shit-eating grin, of course). Brian decided that as long as the 'action' didn't involve Justin - and apparently it had not, or he felt sure his cousin would have pointed that out - he really didn't give a fuck WHO his cousin did. Chances were, also, that whoever it was, Brian had had him first anyway.

Letting out a frustrated breath, he looked up as his cousin slid the loft door open and entered, a goofy-looking grin on his face. "Hey, mate!" he greeted him enthusiastically.

"Airline ought to love you," Brian snickered, observing his cousin's slightly unsteady gait. "You think it's wise to get plastered just before you catch your flight?"

Liam flashed a lopsided smile at him, nearly tripping over his own feet as he staggered up to the couch and plopped down unceremoniously next to Brian. "Not to worry," he reassured him. "I'll sleep it off on the way home." He hiccupped. "Such a shame I can't stay," he lamented. "It's been fun getting to know all the boys here. And the stories they tell about _you_. Do...Do you know that you're a fucking legend, cousin?"

Brian snorted. "Legend nothing; I'm in a class by myself."

Liam rolled his eyes and grinned. "Should...should I sing _Wing Beneath My Wings_ now?"

"No, thanks," Brian replied quickly in distaste. He glanced down at his Armani watch. "Better get your stuff together, Casanova. My rejects will just have to learn to live without you from now on."

Oddly, that statement seemed to bring Liam out of his drunken state as he peered over at Brian. "One of them was never one of your 'rejects,' by the way. Never was, and never would be. Call him."

Brian was silent for a moment before he seemed to deflate. "I've tried," he admitted. "He won't answer his phone."

Liam hefted his duffel onto his shoulder and stood up as he heard a cab's horn honking outside. "Are your fucking legs broken, man? Go talk to him in _person_!" His voice softened as he added, "Go...before it's too late. He's worth it." He shook his head, almost disbelieving what he was about to say. But he knew Brian wasn't really the person he always pretended to be. "_You're _worth it." He stood there for a moment before the cab's horn blew again. "Take care, mate. And...Tell Justin I said hello." He half-smiled at his cousin before turning to head out the door. "If he ever changes his mind...tell him he knows where to find me."

Brian sat there for several seconds in the silence before, his mind made up, he reached for his car keys lying on the coffee table in front of him. A few minutes later, his 'Vette roared to life as he headed toward Daphne's apartment.


	7. Laid Bare

_Brian and Justin discuss their relationship. Will a certain brunet be able to finally confess his true feelings? _

* * *

_Ten Minutes Later..._

"Huh?" Justin's heart pounded as he heard a thump, thump, thump on the apartment door; with as small a place as Daphne had, his makeshift bed was only about ten feet away, and the noise abruptly startled him awake, just as he had finally fallen into a somewhat fitful sleep. "Wha...?"

Still groggy - and clad only in a short-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of loose boxers - Justin pulled the lightweight blanket away from his body and slid his feet onto the floor, wincing at how cold it felt against his bare skin.

"What's going on?" Daphne asked as she came out into the living room, arms wrapped around a thin robe and her thick hair wildly askew, her face furrowed with half-asleep confusion. Just then there was another loud rapping on the door. "It's three o'clock in the fucking _morning_!" she snapped at their would-be guest. "Nothing worth stealing here! Go _away_!"

"No can do," was the muffled response.

"Oh, for the love of..." Daphne muttered, a little disgusted with herself that she didn't instantly realize who it must have been; no one ELSE would be so persistent - or presumptuousness - to show up at this time of night. She sighed as she peered over at her friend and patted his shoulder sympathetically. "He's all yours; I'm going back to bed. Good luck!"

"Daphne!" Justin responded with dismay as she promptly turned on her heels and headed back into the bedroom, closing it behind her. The pounding resumed again as, resigned, Justin stumbled over to the door and slid the security bolt back before opening it.

Brian stood there hesitantly as he waited for Justin to come to the door, wondering what possessed him to think this was such a good idea in the first place; but as he heard the door being opened and his eyes attached themselves onto the tousled, sleepy-eyed man staring uncertainly back at him, he knew he had made the right decision. He realized immediately just how much he had missed him. Everything about him - his nonstop chatter, his quirky, high-calorie food habits, his odd musical tastes, his 'throw-everything-where-ever-it-landed habit,' and his passion for what he believed in, whether it was his art, his friends, or his myriad of causes; most of all, he had missed his presence in his life, and how right it always felt to have him by his side. How could he have been so stupid to risk losing this, then; to risk losing _him_?

He cleared his throat as Justin stared back at him expectantly. "Hey," he finally managed to utter, thinking how lame that sounded. "I was just in the neighborhood, and..."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Brian, like Daphne said, it's three in the morning. What do you want?" He huffed in protest as his lover nudged his shoulder and barged inside, coming to stand several feet away from him. "Come on in," he told Brian dryly as he closed the door and turned around to join him. "Don't sit down," he instructed firmly as Brian moved toward the couch, his sheet, blanket, and pillow still lying crumpled up in a heap where he had left them a few minutes ago.

Brian glanced down at the mass of tangled bedding, unable to keep from smiling slightly at the familiar sloppiness. "Wouldn't think of it," he murmured as he turned back around to look at him. "There might still be a body under there somewhere."

"I SLEEP here, Brian. What did you expect it to look like at three o'clock in the morning? Unlike YOU, I don't bring tricks back here."

_Ouch_. Brian winced. "Justin..."

"Just say what you want to say, Brian, and then leave," Justin replied wearily. That was actually the last thing he wanted, however, despite how Brian had treated him previously. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to feel Brian's arms holding him, and his lips pressed against his. He had missed him so desperately over the past week. But he had been determined not to go running back to him like he always did. If things were going to change somehow, it would have to start with Brian and not him. "Well?" he prompted when Brian remained silent. It _did _give him a certain sense of satisfaction that Brian appeared atypically uncomfortable at the moment.

Brian scratched the back of his head. "You know...I wouldn't have had to come here in person if you had just answered your damn phone," he began. "And you've trained your fag hag well, too," he added.

"I don't have to answer my phone if I don't want to," was the curt reply. "And Daphne is only watching out for me."

Brian shook his head. Perhaps this wasn't the best way to start out their conversation, so he started again. "Liam left about an hour ago," he told him.

Justin couldn't contain his curiosity as he asked, "So he stayed with you after all?"

"I promised my angelic mother, didn't I?" Brian quipped sarcastically, before his face grew more serious. "Yeah," he grumbled softly. "He stayed with me."

Justin nodded. "Must have been pretty crowded over there, then," he responded, lips pressed firmly together. "Well, I hope that you were generous, and at least shared your discards with him afterward."

Brian walked closer to his lover, who promptly turned his head and averted his eyes; but not before Brian couldn't help detecting the hurt look on Justin's face - a look HE had caused. "No," he replied quietly. "There was more than enough room this week. Because YOU weren't there...and neither was anyone else."

Justin's head lifted in surprise, tinged with just a little skepticism. "You mean, there was no one there when Liam was around," he replied, still in doubt. With the other man's looks, he was certain Liam would not have been the type to avoid 'sowing a few wild oats' while he was visiting, so he must have spent a great deal of time prowling the bars and the clubs during his time here. After all, he had had a brief sample of the man's charms himself, and he knew other men would no doubt react the same - and be a willing participant who didn't have the same hang ups that _he _did. "Did you tag team at Babylon in the back room, instead?" he asked. "Or maybe you played tour guide for him at the baths. I bet there was standing room only for _that_."

Brian didn't know whether to be amused or insulted by that comment. He supposed he deserved it, however. He sighed. "Justin..."

"Brian, I'm tired. Physically and mentally. Just...say your piece, and then go, okay?" He closed his eyes, a rush of emotions swirling through him, as he felt Brian's strong hand grip his chin and force his head gently upward in his direction.

"Justin, look at me," was the firm but soft entreaty. "Come on...Open your fucking eyes."

Slowly, reluctantly, Justin opened his eyes to peer up into the hazel ones he knew so well; except there was something different about them this time. Something he couldn't quite decipher. "What?" he whispered at last.

"I'll leave," Brian told him. "But not without _you_." He moved closer until their bodies were touching, the smell of his cologne - and just _him_ - threatening to overwhelm Justin.

"Why would I?" It was a simple enough question. "Nothing has changed," Justin told him sadly.

"That's where you're wrong," Brian replied to his surprise. He stroked the stubbled skin around Justin's chin and jaw, remaining silent for a few moments as if he were trying to summon up some courage to speak, before he admitted at last, "I've missed you."

Justin observed him doubtfully, pushing any hopeful thoughts that threatened to bloom inside him out of the way and trying hard to ignore the feeling of Brian's fingers stroking his skin. "Really? Which part?"

"Justin..." Brian huffed out an exasperated breath. "Will you cut me a little slack here?"

"Why should I?" Blue eyes focused intently on Brian's face, even though Justin's breathing was becoming a bit more shallow from the tactile stimulation of Brian's fingers caressing his face, and the mere smell of the man; just being within several feet of the man was enough for his pheromones to kick in; it had always been that way. The main difference now, though, was that Justin had learned to deal with it, and shield himself from it, to the point where he didn't wear his heart so openly on his sleeve anymore. That still didn't mean that it didn't affect, him, however.

Brian appeared to struggle as he mumbled, "You know how hard this is for me." He dropped his hand from Justin's face, only to grasp his upper arms with both hands as he pulled him closer; to his relief, Justin didn't try to pull away as his eyes lifted to meet his, a glimmer - just a slight glimmer - of hope flaring there. "Justin..." The blond's eyebrows raised as if he were saying, _yes? I'm waiting, _as Brian let out a deep breath. "You know what you mean to me..."

"Do I, Brian? Or is it more like what I _hope_ it to be? Have I been deluding myself all this time that you really do care about me the way I care about you?"

"Justin..."

"No, let me finish," he told him, as he pulled free of Brian's grasp and turned around to face the window overlooking the street. He needed space; he needed a way to tell his lover what was in his heart without Brian staring at him the way that he does; the way that makes him forget everything he wants to say. This was too important this time. He had a feeling it was now or never. He was tired of waiting, tired of second-guessing everything.

"Do you remember when I came to see you soon after we met, and you had that guy in your loft? The one you introduced me to as 'Dr. Goodfuck'?" he asked him quietly, as he continued to stare at the streetlights below. At this time of night, the road was totally deserted and empty, much like he had been feeling this past week.

Brian frowned, wondering why he was bringing up that particular trick now. It seemed like ages ago, and in a way it was - at least dozens of tricks ago, if not hundreds of men, ago. What Justin didn't know was that the guy had actually been a priest apparently; he suddenly realized that his mother's priest hadn't been his first fuck in that regard after all, then; _this_ one had been. "Yeah, I remember," he told him as he stared at the rigidness of Justin's back. He tentatively reached out to curl his hand over Justin's shoulder - to squeeze it in silent assurance that he wasn't going anywhere - but he stopped at the last minute, suddenly unsure of himself. He didn't like that feeling. "Why are you thinking about _him_?"

"Because...when you came out after me? When you followed me out to the car?"

Brian walked a little closer. "Yeah?"

Justin swallowed, his eyes glistening a little as he thought about their conversation back then. He had never forgotten it, and never would. "I started to tell you something then, but you interrupted me. Something important." He paused before, summoning up his courage, he turned around to face Brian; he was no longer that scared, little 17-year-old boy anymore. He gazed resolutely into Brian's eyes as he explained, "Right before you told me to go find some 'pretty little girl' to be with instead, I was about to tell you that I...I _loved_ you."

Brian half smiled, his expression dubious. "Sunshine, you had just met me. You were practically a kid; you didn't know what you were getting involved with." He amended that. "_Who_ you were getting involved with; not really."

Justin firmly shook his head in disagreement. "That's where you're wrong," he told him. "Yeah, I was young. And I admit it - I didn't really know shit about having a relationship with anyone, or what it was supposed to feel like to be in love. I hadnever _been _in love before." He paused. "But I knew somehow. And I know now that I was right," he told Brian, his eyes boring into his, almost as if he were challenging the older man to refute what he was saying. "I _did_ love you." He blinked, feeling the moisture on his eyelids as he added more softly, "I still do." He swallowed, trying to compose himself as his previous defiance the past week slowly dissipated. He still wasn't going to come running back like an obedient, little lamb, however. He wanted more this time.

Brian inched a little closer, almost afraid he would spook Justin if he did or said anything too abrupt. His heart lurched and threatened to stop over his declaration; he hadn't realized how anxious he had been that he had permanently damaged his and Justin's relationship until that very moment, not until he had heard those last three words spoken. Did he have the same courage to admit the same to him? "I'm glad," he responded, their bodies mere inches from each other now, so close that Brian could smell the blond's shampoo, his soap, his sweat..._him_. "Justin...I..." _Damn, this was harder than he thought it would be. _But somehow he had to find the courage to say it anyway.

Justin stared into his eyes, unblinking, sensing this was going to (hopefully) be a defining moment in their unconventional, hard-to-define relationship. Would this proud, stubborn man have enough nerve to say what needed to be said, however? To say what he had been waiting to hear for more than two years now? What he had wanted to hear from practically the very first moment they had met?

"...I had a long talk with Liam that day you left the loft," Brian continued. He quirked one side of his mouth up wryly as he added, "...And he felt compelled to play psychoanalyst."

Justin's mouth hung open slightly in surprise. "He did?" He had sensed that Liam was a compassionate, understanding person that night at the park. And after seeing all the photos of the two of them together when they were teens, he also felt the two cousins had shared a great deal together growing up. But in light of Liam's attraction to him, he was still a bit caught off guard by his wanting to help push the two of them back together again.

Brian nodded. "Yeah...And he pointed out some things he thought that I should know...whether I wanted to hear them or not."

Expressive, blue eyes peered back at him intently. "Such as?" Justin couldn't help asking.

Brian sighed. "Such as what a prick I was for treating you the way I was. Or words to that effect, anyway. And...how I might lose you to someone else if I wasn't careful." He swallowed hard at the thought.

"He said that?"

Brian reached up to grasp Justin by the upper arms, and this time he didn't rebuff him. _A good sign_, Brian decided silently, as he nodded in response, his fingers slowly drawing circles on the thin cotton of Justin's tee-shirt. "Yeah. And how I shouldn't assume that you are aware of certain things, even though I told him that you're a smart man and should be able to figure it out."

"What sort of things? Maybe I'm not as smart as you think." Justin replied quietly, needing, _demanding_ to know. He decided - no more ambiguity, no more questions about how Brian did or didn't feel.

Brian half-smiled as he shook his head. "No, you are," he insisted. "But he also made me realize that sometimes - as fucking hard as I find it to do - you still need to hear the words." He inhaled a deep breath and blew it out between his lips, steadying himself. "Justin..."

The eyes boring into his both bolstered him as well as made him intimidated in a way with their intensity as he paused briefly, knowing Justin was waiting for him to continue. Obviously, he was going to have to do this on his own without any help from him. He supposed that was only right. "Justin, I have thought about that same thing so many times before."

Justin furrowed his brow. "Thought about what, Brian?" he whispered, almost afraid that if he spoke too loudly his lover would promptly close back up, and retreat back into his own shell. He reached to slide his hands up Brian's chest as they came to rest on either side of his neck, trying to reassure him that he was listening and wanted to hear what he had to say.

Brian rolled his lips under briefly before replying, "Thought about how someone will come along and take you away from me, that's what." _There...He had said it. It was out in the open at least now..._

Justin increased the pressure slightly on Brian's neck in surprise. "Why would you think that? I just told you that I lo..."

"I know," Brian replied, interrupting him. "But why, Justin? Why would you stay with _me?"_

"You mean because you can be a real asshole sometimes? Because you like to always be in control, and never show anyone your true feelings? Because you try to never let me forget my mistakes?"

"Yeah," Brian grumbled grudgingly. "Something like that." He huffed. "I think I see where the 1500 SAT came from now."

Justin chuckled dryly. "Maybe." The grin on his face disappeared as he replied honestly, "But I'm not done yet. Don't talk," Justin ordered as Brian opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it again. "There're also a lot of reasons why I WOULD stay with you," he told him. "You're generous - overly generous - to your friends, and even to your family. You could have told your mother, for instance, about Father Butterfield being queer, but you didn't. And you could have gotten that brat of a nephew in big trouble over the horrible lies he told the police. You could have refused to sign over custody of Gus to Mel and Lindsay, but you did it anyway. You could have pried Michael away from David, but, instead, you deliberately created a rift between the two of you to try and make him happy. You could have walked out of my life when my father ordered me to stay away from you and deny everything I was and everything that I felt. But you didn't; instead, you let me come and stay with you, and you spoke up for me and supported me. And even the first night we met - when you could have been rough with me, and threw me out into the street afterward like all your other tricks, you didn't. Instead, you knew I was scared out of my fucking mind...and you were gentle with me."

His fingers slowly feathered the soft hair at the back of Brian's neck for a moment before he continued. "Remember that night at the loft?" He blushed as he added, "When we were in your chaise lounge - with the ice cream?" He knew _he_ would never forget it; it was the first time he and Brian had had sex in that chair - and the first time he had wound up licking ice cream off Brian's chest and face, as well as parts further south. He had been _very _clumsy that night - deliberately. And they had wound up having some of the most incredible sex he had ever remembered. He could almost feel Brian's sense of loss over Michael that night - in the methodical, almost tender way he had made love to him, in the lost look in his eyes; in the way he had quickly dismissed him afterward when he brought up Michael's name.

Brian smiled then. "I won't ever forget _that_, either..."

Justin's cheeks warmed as he nodded. "Well, remember what I told you when I got dressed - when you were attempting, as you so often tried to do, to dismiss me?"

Brian nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

"I told you that I was onto you, and that you couldn't push me away like you did Michael. I meant that."

"But I almost did," Brian pointed out. "And I almost succeeded," he whispered painfully, recalling when he had practically shoved him into Ethan's arms by his stubborn pride and self-righteousness that had prevented him from showing - or telling - Justin how he really felt. He recalled how Lindsay had even called him out on it after they had broken up. He had almost thought he had been proven right after Justin had come back to him later, practically dragging his tail between his legs. But now...now he realized that if the right person had come along back then- one that had been faithful to Justin, and had treated him right and cherished him the way that he deserved to be cherished - he could have very well succeeded, and lost the only man who had ever allowed his heart to feel, his heart to _love. _Somehow in an ironic twist of fate, it had taken his own cousin to make him see that.

"But you didn't manage to do it, though," Justin told him. He sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I liked the feeling of being another notch on your bedpost."

"But you're not," Brian blurted out. "I've never felt that way about you."

Justin grunted with a sort of 'huh' noise. "That's nice to hear, at least. I was hoping that was the case." He shook his head slightly as he whispered, "But why have you never told me that before, Brian?"

A muscle in Brian's jaw twitched. "Liam told me basically the same thing. He said you were the kind of person who needed to be told those kinds of things." He dropped his hands from Justin to rub his right hand over his face, perplexed. "Just what did you see in me, Justin? What did you see in me that first night that made you keep coming back? I know you were looking for someone to be your first, and I was certainly willing to assume that role. But we were different in so many ways. I kept trying to push you away - kept trying to deny that it would ever work between us - but you kept coming back, anyway. Why?"

"I told you, Brian," was the gentle reproach. "I fell in love with you that first night. I...I...know it sounds crazy. But I saw a future with you. I knew you were the _one._"

Brian shook his head in amazement. "And...You still feel that way? Even after the way I treated you?"

Justin stared into his eyes for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah. God help me, but l still do."

Brian smiled in relief, moving to curl his hand around Justin's neck to pull him in for a kiss, but Justin shook his head and pulled back slightly. "What?"

"I still love you, Brian. But I won't keep being just a handy convenience for you; not anymore. Not even if I AM the guy you fuck more than once. I need more than that; I _deserve _more than that."

Brian nodded. "I know. I agree. So...come back to the loft with me, Justin."

To his disappointment, however, Justin shook his head. "This is a start," he told him. "But it's not enough. I need more, Brian."

Brian frowned. "Like what?"

"Like you not bringing tricks back to your place if I'm there. Like not kicking me out of bed, just so you can satisfy your libido with your latest conquest." He paused. "I'm not naïve enough to think that you'll change overnight, Brian. I know you can't promise me monogamy; at least not yet."

"Maybe never," Brian softly replied. "I'm just being honest," he told him truthfully with a shrug.

Justin stared intently into his eyes for a moment before he nodded. "I know," he told him with just a tinge of sadness. "I hope that one day, though..." His words trailed off as he inhaled a deep breath and let it out.

Brian felt like a total dick for saying that, but he _was_ being honest with Justin. He felt that was at least a step in the right direction. Even though he had to make a conscious effort to be more open about his feelings, that still didn't mean he was going to lie, either. He reached over to curl the palm of his right hand around his lover's cheek, stroking his skin with his thumb as he admitted, "I care about you, Justin. A lot," he added as Justin stared into his eyes intently. He took a deep breath. "More than I've ever cared about any man. You...You make me feel - and do - things that I never thought I would ever experience. And maybe, just maybe...I can learn to change. To be more the person that you want me to be, the person you _need_ me to be."

Justin shook his head; that sounded wrong somehow. "I'm not asking you to change, Brian," he corrected him as he stared into his eyes. "I _don't _want you to change; not really. I fell in love with the person that you are right now. I...I've already told you that I know you're nothing like the image you project to everyone; I know there's a lot more to you than that. I just need for you to be honest with me. And that includes being honest about how you feel. I just want you to talk to me more...and not flaunt your sexual escapades in front of me back at the loft. If you can't do that, if that is something you're not willing to do, then there's no way I'm going back there with you. I can't keep lying in bed there, wondering if I'm about to be kicked out before your next appointment arrives."

Brian nodded slowly; he had expected as much. "Fair enough," he agreed as he inched a little closer, dying to kiss the lips he had been missing all week. "I won't do that anymore."

Justin nodded back at him, his emotions all over the map as he tried to remain objective. It was hard to do, though, with Brian so near to him. "Promise me, Brian," he whispered, knowing if he did promise he would, indeed, follow through on it. For there was one thing Brian had never done; he had never reneged on a promise he had made to him. He wished silently that he could say the same; however, he had made great strides in rectifying that since running astray - and in making sure that Brian knew how much he had regretted what he had done.

Brian stared into the blue eyes he knew so well. Surprisingly, he found that it wasn't hard to utter the words this time. "I promise."

Justin nodded back at him, his heart a litte lighter now.

"So, Mr. Taylor. Will you please come back home now?"

_Home_. Brian had never used that word before with him. He liked that word. At last, he smiled, his eyes glistening, despite his intention not to appear too weak or sentimental. "Are you sure about this?"

Brian leaned over so their foreheads were touching as he whispered, "More than sure." He pulled back, just enough to gaze into Justin's eyes, before he slid his hand around to the back of his lover's neck and pulled him closer to finally achieve what he had been wanting to do for days now: kiss Justin as if he never wanted to let him go again.

Justin instantly responded to Brian's kiss, sliding his hands around Brian's waist to link them at his back and pull them closer together until their bodies were touching from head to foot. He felt his desire growing as they continued to kiss, and he threw all of his pent-up emotion from the past week into their embrace. How he had missed this man, and everything about him! He sighed in contentment as they finally broke apart, their breaths intermingling in the closeness.

Brian smiled. "I take it that's a yes?"

Justin appeared contemplative as he replied, "Uhh...let me give that some thought first."

"Justin..." Brian squeezed the back of his neck in frustration.

At last Brian was rewarded with a smile. "Okay...It's a yes."

Brian nodded in relief. "Good," he whispered. "Now go collect all your designer duds and artwork shit, so we can go..." He nuzzled Justin's neck, rubbing his face against the pale skin and hearing Justin's sharp intake of breath; apparently he wasn't the _only_ one affected by being apart this past week. "Hurry," he added, his voice low and seductive. "I'm horny as hell, and fuck, I may have to take you here and now if you don't get moving."

Justin blushed over the tone of Brian's voice; he always felt a certain thrill over being able to hold so much power over this magnificent man. Brian wasn't the _only_ one who had keenly felt the loss from their separation. He arched his neck slightly to give Brian greater access as he whispered, "I'm not in any hurry to leave."

Brian frowned; that wasn't what he had been expecting to hear. Had Justin just changed his mind? His lover's next words, however, quickly put his mind at ease.

"I think I should take a little bit of the edge off first...don't you?"

Brian smiled then. "I like the way you think, Sunshine." He held his hands out in a 'have your way with me' type of gesture as Justin reached to unbutton his shirt, openly admiring the lightly-muscled surface before he slowly glided the palms of his hands up the taut, smooth flesh, swirling the pad of his thumbs in a circular motion over the dusky-color nipples that quickly hardened under his touch. He was rewarded with an arch of Brian's upper back and a soft grunt of appreciation as he used his teeth to gently nip at the left bud while his hand worked on the right, feeling Brian fist some of his hair on the top of his head in an unspoken signal for him to continue.

His hands moved down then to unsnap Brian's jeans before eagerly sliding inside his briefs, easily finding the hard, leaking cock. Pushing the obtrusive material down further, he knelt down to grip the base of the shaft as his lips fastened onto the hot, silky skin, his tongue flicking out to steal some pre-come from the tip as his hands squeezed Brian's buttocks to push him even deeper inside.

"Ahh...Justin," Brian moaned loudly as his hand gripped the top of his lover's head tightly, his other hand cupped around Justin's cheek as his cock slid fluidly in and out of his mouth. He glanced down to watch, thinking it was the most damned erotic thing he had ever seen. It felt so good, so right; it felt like he was complete again. "More..." he demanded greedily.

Justin readily complied, taking Brian deep to the back of his throat, the hairs at the base of his cock tickling his skin. He inhaled the heady scent as his fingers tightened their grip on Brian's ass cheeks. He could tell Brian was close...so close, as he swirled his tongue around the underside of his cock and increased the pressure of his sucking and the tempo. At last, he heard Brian cry out with a loud moan before he shot down his throat, his body quivering in response to his climax.

He slid his lips off Brian's cock just before he heard a muffled, familiar voice nearby. "Do you mind? I'm trying to _sleep_ in here! Jeez...go back to Brian's place if you're going to fuck, okay?"

Justin chuckled as he rested his cheek against Brian's belly, feeling his lover lazily stroking his hair from above. He took a moment to lightly caress Brian's buttocks before he slowly rose to his feet to share some of his essence with him in another passionate kiss.

Brian stroked Justin's cheek softly and huffed in indignation as they broke apart. "I wasn't _that_ loud." He noticed that Daphne's bedroom door was still closed.

Justin grinned. "Yes, you were," he reported with a smug expression, secretly pleased that he could make Brian come that hard merely by sucking him off.

Brian smirked at him. "Oh, I was, was I?" Justin nodded with a grin. "Well, let's see how loud YOU can be," he told him, as he reached down toward the loose waistband of Justin's pants.

"Uh, uh, uh..." Justin admonished him as he batted his hand away. "Later." He was painfully hard, but he couldn't help wanting to finish what they had started in more comfortable surroundings.

Brian groaned, his mouth practically watering over what he was missing. He sighed. "We could take a shower..."

"Brian!" Justin laughed softly. "Poor baby," he cooed at Brian's disappointed expression. "I'll hurry if that will make you feel better."

"You'd _damn_ well better hurry," Brian told him as he admired the delectable ass scurrying to pick up what would be needed for the loft. "And bring plenty of clothes along with your art supplies," he advised as Justin turned around with a furrowing of his brow. "I don't intend on you coming back here for a long while," he explained as Justin beamed in understanding. _If ever_, came unbidden to Brian's mind as he watched his lover puttering around the small space and picking up his various items scattered about the room. He couldn't help smiling as he watched him, feeling at once both relieved as well as grateful. Grateful to a certain cousin who had finally made him see things clearly. Perhaps one day he would let him know how he had helped repair his and Justin's relationship. For now, however, he had more urgent matters in mind.

* * *

"Ready?" he asked a couple of minutes later as he took Justin's overstuffed, canvas duffel bag from him.

Justin nodded as he hefted his art portfolio onto his right shoulder. "Just let me write a quick note to Daphne, explaining where I'll be."

Brian guffawed. "You really think that's necessary now, Sunshine?"

Justin appeared sheepish. "No...I guess not," he told him with a grin.

Brian nodded as he pulled him closer with his free arm. "Come on. I may even let you drive the Jeep home."

Justin's mouth hung open; Brian had never let him drive before. "You might? Why?"

Brian grinned. "I'm talented. But even _I _can't drive and suck you off at the same time." He reached inside his jeans pocket and fished out his keys, tossing them to his lover, who deftly caught them in his hand.

Justin beamed a radiant smile back at him, relishing the coldness of the metal keys in his hand. _This was really happening_, he couldn't help thinking. Pecking Brian on the lips, he pulled back to whisper, "Let's go home, then."


	8. Epilogue: Only You

_Same Time..._

_Brian's Loft - Ten Minutes Later_

"Damn it," Justin grumbled as he dropped one of his art books onto the elevator floor. One of these days, he was going to have to somehow invest in a new backpack; his threadbare, canvas one was about to come apart at the seams. There was no way he could afford a new one - and he wasn't about to let Brian pay for one, even though he knew he would - but perhaps the Goodwill down the street would have a decent, used one.

As he picked up the book and pulled the elevator gate upward to open it, he thought he could hear some sort of music wafting out of the loft as he approached the door. Clutching his items vicariously in his arms and bracing one sketchbook under his chin, he managed to slide the cumbersome door open, but one look at the interior of the loft's space a few seconds later, and his items came crashing down onto the floor.

"Clumsy much, Sunshine?" was the snarky quip from his lover as Justin's mouth dropped open in delighted shock. It wasn't a traditionalist's idea of a romantic setting, but to Justin it was just as wondrous. Brian was standing there, his unbuttoned jeans hung low over his slim hips as he clutched a bottle of wine and two glasses in his hands, his body glistening and his wet hair askew from what was obviously a recent shower. The loft was cast in a soft glow, Brian having turned down the recessed lighting with a dimmer switch, and two empty Beam bottles were sitting in the middle of his dining room table, a couple of candles inserted in the tops flickering lazily.

Justin frowned, perplexed, as he left his items scattered on the loft's hardwood floor and walked closer to the dining room table to examine what at first glance appeared to be an odd-looking flower arrangement. He had to laugh as he discovered what it really was: it was a flower arrangement all right - at least in a manner of speaking - but made with Godiva chocolates wrapped in red foil to resemble red roses. Interspersed in between the rosebuds were condom packets wrapped in green tissue paper, and tied with florist wire onto matching, green, wooden stems. "Well, Brian Kinney does do flowers," he declared in wonder. "With his own unique twist of genius, of course." He turned around to peer over at his partner with a smile, sniffing the air curiously. "And if I'm not mistaken...I think I smell chicken parmesan?"

Brian slowly walked over to his boyfriend. "You smell correctly."

Justin nodded as he swept his gaze around the room - noticing a large bowl of salad and some other type of foil-covered, rectangular dish sitting on the kitchen island; not a crumb or a speck of grease - or even a dirty dish - in sight. "Two meals in one day?" he replied with a smile. "So who delivered it?"

Brian huffed, about to open his mouth to issue an insulted retort when he thought better of it. "Callahan's," he admitted finally after a brief pause, deciding honesty was the best route.

Justin chuckled. "Well, at least you picked the best Italian place in town," he told him dryly with a smile as he walked closer to face the other man, linking his hands behind his lover's neck. "Brian, you don't need to impress me with your mastery of culinary skills," he assured him. He glanced around the room, his heart warming over the not-so-traditional signs of a Brian Kinney attempt at romance, before lightly nudging Brian's nose with his own, Eskimo style. Pulling back, he whispered, "I love what you're trying to do for me, though."

"Now don't go making a big deal out of it," Brian grumbled, feeling totally out of his element as Justin nuzzled his neck affectionately. "I just figured you would be hungry, and since you had to eat anyway..." His breathing began to increase as Justin's lips nibbled on his skin. How can he make him so horny merely by the smallest of touches, and by the incredible way that he smells and feels?

"Uh, huh," the blond responded knowingly with a smile as he lifted his head to peer into the hazel eyes. "By the way...I spoke to Liam earlier today." He decided their newly-pledged vow of honesty needed to apply to both of them. He noticed a slight flicker of something pass across Brian's face as he mentioned his cousin's name; insecurity, vulnerability, jealousy? He wasn't sure. He quickly moved to dispel any possible doubts, however, as he told him, "He called me, just out of the blue."

Brian slid his hands around Justin's waist to link them at his lower back and pull him in even closer, almost as if he could keep him there as a prisoner and never let him go. He knew that wasn't the right way to approach his feelings about Justin, though, but he still felt just a twinge of uneasiness where Liam was involved. If Justin had encouraged him in the least little bit when he had been here...He shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

"Brian."

The brunet blinked as if he were coming out of a trance as he gazed into the intense, blue eyes. "Yeah?"

"I was saying that Liam called me this morning."

"I heard you," was the slightly curt response as Brian pursed his lips firmly together.

Justin sighed, immediately recognizing the tone in Brian's voice. "Brian..."

Brian looked away briefly before replying, "I just don't understand why he didn't call _me_, Justin. I'M his cousin, not you."

Justin tugged slightly at Brian's hair in reproach. "Brian, listen to me. He was just calling to check up on me, that's all. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Well, I would prefer a lot less," Brian grumbled back. "Why did he feel a need to check up on you at all, Justin? The next thing I know he'll be emailing you or texting you on a regular basis, too."

Justin couldn't help the smile from appearing on his face, even as Brian scowled in response. He always felt a touch of pride whenever Brian felt jealous, although in this case he had no reason to be. "No, he won't," he assured him quietly.

"Oh?"

Justin shook his head. "No," he repeated.

Brian felt like his heart was doing a somersault in relief as he replied nonchalantly, "Well, what did he want?"

"He asked me if I was happy..."

"Really. How considerate of him." Justin remained quiet for a while, reminding Brian of that time so long ago when Justin had been crowned King of Babylon, and he had agonized silently over what his response would be when that Sean person had asked if he could see him again. It felt much the same way now as it did then. Apparently Justin was going to make HIM say it again, too..._fucker_. "Well?" he pressed at last, unable to stand it any longer.

He thought he saw a mischievous twinkle appear in Justin's eyes as he replied saucily, "Well, what?"

"Justin!"

Justin grinned. "Oh, you want me to tell you what my answer was?" He lightly feathered the back of Brian's hair as he leaned in closer, his mouth near Brian's left ear.

Brian could feel his breath whispering over his skin as he sighed in defeat. "You asshole. Yes, I would like to know what you told him."

Justin nipped at his lower ear lobe as he whispered in his ear, "I told him that I was."

Brian's heartbeat sped up as Justin leaned back to stare into his eyes.

"And I am, Brian. I'm _very _happy."

Brian smirked, his familiar expression back on his face as he tried to allay his inner fears. "_How_ happy?" he asked playfully.

Justin's smile widened as he continued to play with the soft hair at the back of Brian's neck. "How about I show you?"

Brian grinned back at him, enormously comforted. Whatever he had done to deserve this man's loyalty and love to him, he vowed right then and there that he would never take it for granted again. "I always knew you were a very smart man - and very talented in the visual arts. Be my guest. Indulge yourself."

* * *

_Later that Evening..._

"You know," Justin murmured as he drew lazy circles on Brian's chest as he lay half on, half off his lover, "I think that was the best non-homemade cooked meal I've ever had." He kissed the taut skin of Brian's breastbone as he lifted his head and declared, "And the pre- and after-dinner activities were superb. My compliments to the un-chef."

Brian snorted, his chin lying on top of Justin's blond crown of hair. "Thanks...I think."

He raised his head, placing his right hand under Justin's chin to lift his face so he could look into his eyes. "Justin?" he asked quietly, all play gone from his voice now.

"Hmmm?" was the lazy reply, the two of them just having finished yet another robust round of fucking, although Justin would state for the record - if he was ever under oath - that it had been more like lovemaking to him. And he theorized that Brian would feel the same, if he could ever admit it. Maybe one day, he would.

"If you're ever unhappy with me..." Brian cleared his throat, still finding it damn difficult to have these kinds of discussions. "If you ever feel that way...I want you to tell me...okay?"

Justin blinked, almost overcome with emotion. To have Brian even engage in these types of conversations while they were snuggling...yes, _snuggling_, dammit - in bed after fucking was revealing in and of itself. It spoke volumes about where their relationship was hopefully heading, and he found that he liked it. A lot. He nodded with a smile as he laid his cheek back down against Brian's chest. "I will," he whispered, knowing Brian would prefer he not look him directly in the eyes during these types of discussions. He had to tread lightly with Brian and take emotional baby steps. But it was progress, definitely. He did lift his head then, however, as he added softly, "And I want you to do the same. Deal?"

Brian nodded, grateful that Justin hadn't made a big fuss out of his statement. "Deal," he told him with a smile as he curled his arm around Justin's shoulder.

They lay there silently, simply savoring each other's touch for several minutes, until Justin spoke up again. "Brian?"

"Yes, Sunshine?" He had figured that his lover had fallen asleep by now, but he discovered he had been wrong obviously.

"Any of those chocolate-covered strawberries left?"

Brian snorted as he slowly stroked the soft skin of Justin's shoulder. "You ate them all, twat."

"Oh. Just making sure. Good night, Brian."

Brian smiled as he closed his eyes. "Good night, Justin."


End file.
